Nicoles Shrimp Summer Melon Arugula Salad Food

MELON SALAD WITH SHRIMP AND WILD ARUGULA RECIPE

Melon salad with shrimp and wild arugula Recipe image

Some people say you should thump them. Some say you should give them a sniff. Some claim the secret is all in the skin. Some tell you to play with their bellybuttons.They're all right and they're all wrong when it comes to choosing melons. It seems almost cruel that something so purely pleasurable can be so complicated to choose.A good melon ranks among late summer's most luxurious treats -- melting yet still slightly crisp in texture, sweetly redolent of flowers or musk or honey, or all of them combined, depending on the variety. Can there be anything sweeter on a hot evening than feasting on cool wedges of melon, draped with silken sheets of prosciutto?On the other hand, a bad one tastes like an undistinguished cucumber.Telling the difference between the two is the key. And how you do that depends on a number of factors, depending on what kind of melon you're talking about (and, come to think about it, just exactly what it is you mean by "melon").The good news is that once you've got a great melon, you're 90% of the way to a great dish.When Alain Giraud was cooking at Bastide, one of his signature appetizers was an almost paper-thin sheet of spiced cantaloupe wrapped around a crab salad. It was magnificent.But even if you're not a star chef who can execute something so technically demanding, you can still make great melon dishes. Some of the best are simple almost to the point of seeming Zen. Try serving a slice of melon with nothing more than a simple grinding of black pepper. The sharp, floral elements of the pepper are a perfect contrast to the lusciousness of the fruit.For the same reason, herbs like arugula, basil and mint seem to be natural accompaniments as well. You might never have thought of using such a sweet fruit in a savory salad, but given a restrained hand and the right mix of ingredients, it can be exactly right for a summer supper.Really salty ingredients are also perfect foils for melon's sweetness. Cut a melon in chunks and drape it with prosciutto. Or spear a piece of melon on a toothpick along with a bite of salty dried sausage.For dessert, lightly sauce sliced melon with a simple syrup flavored with mint and lime zest, or maybe slivered fresh ginger (this is particularly nice if you use a mix of melon varieties with varying colors and textures). Or cut a melon in half and fill it with either a Muscat-based wine or Port. White Port is even better. (This can also be served as an appetizer.)Some people puree melon and serve it as a cool, sweet summer soup for a first course. Personally, I'd rather have it as a dessert, maybe garnished with a little sweetened yogurt and some berries. It's but a short step from dessert soup to sorbet. Just don't sweeten the liquid too much -- melons are high enough in sugar on their own.But before you get creative, you have to have a good melon. And that's where things get complicated.While once our choice of melons was limited (they came in green honeydew or orange cantaloupe), today you can find an amazing assortment: Ambrosia, Galia, Persian, Sharlyn, Ha' Ogen, Crenshaw, Casaba, and yes, there is a Santa Claus.Those are just a few. Particularly now, as the melon season enters its victory lap, talk to a farmers market grower such as Alex Weiser and you can add Sugar Queen, Charentais, Sugar Nut, Butterscotch, Valencia, and even something called Piel de Sapo ("skin of the toad").Call me a contrarian, but the other day I came home with an orange-fleshed honeydew and a green-fleshed cantaloupe. I was just choosing the melons that seemed best. I wasn't wrong. The honeydew seemed to have all of that variety's floweriness, but with a more luscious texture. The cantaloupe seemed even sweeter than normal, with its musk lightened by a little honey.Because family matters so much with melons, picking the right one must begin with a little lesson in botany. It will come as no surprise to anyone who has paid them more than a glance that melons are members of the gourd clan, along with squashes. Collectively, these are known as cucurbits. The specific family that includes melons (well, most melons) is Cucumis. As you can probably tell by the name, it also includes cucumbers.Within the Cucumis family, melons are subdivided into several groups -- how many depends on whom you're talking to. The first group is called Inodorous. They are smooth-skinned melons like the Casaba and the honeydew. They usually have green flesh, but not always). Inodorous melons tend to be very sweet, have a fairly crisp, slightly grainy flesh and a honeyed quality to the flavor.The second important group is Cantalupensis. These are melons with rough skins and usually with orange flesh. As you could probably guess, these include cantaloupes. But wait. What you probably think of as a cantaloupe isn't a cantaloupe at all. It's a muskmelon. Some botanists recognize a third class of melons, which have netted skins. They call these Reticulatus, and the melon we usually call a cantaloupe is one of them.A true cantaloupe is a melon like the French Charentais or Cavaillon (cantaloupe is the "Franglization" of the Italian Cantalupo, which was the name of the pope's summer estate outside of Rome. Supposedly it was one of those 15th century gourmet popes who had these brought from the Near East).These true cantaloupes have skin that is roughened by scales, rather than netting. They are also ribbed. Their flavor is intensely flowery and almost invariably inspires the same in writers trying to describe it -- "ambrosial" would be considered mild praise. Probably the most commonly available true Cantalupensis melon in the United States is the Israeli import Ha' Ogen.Fortunately for cooks, other than the texture of the skin, Cantalupensis and Reticulatus melons are pretty much the same: Their texture is smoother and more melting than the Inodorous melons; they might be slightly less sweet, but their flavor and aroma are more powerfully floral, to the point of muskiness.All in the familyAt the rate that farmers are experimenting with new varieties, attempting to memorize the ins and outs of the various melon families would be a Sisyphean task. Instead, just keep in mind the difference between the smooth-skinned and rough-skinned melons, because each of these families reveals its quality in different ways.Rough-skinned melons are the easiest to choose, because they give you so many clues. The first thing to check is the netting or scaling. In a mature melon, this will be tan or golden in color and definitely raised above the background skin, which should be golden in color, not green. Some rough-skinned melons are also ribbed. In a mature melon, those ribs will be pronounced.Inspect the skin also for the pale, smooth spot the French call the couche, which is the place where the melon rests on the ground. It should be creamy or golden. It, too, should be pronounced, but ideally not too much so. If there is no couche, it probably means the melon was picked too early. If the couche is too big, it's a sign that the melon rested in one place for too long.A clean bellybutton is important, but you knew that, right? All rough-skinned melons are harvested at what farmers call "full slip," which means the fruit pulls cleanly away from the vine, leaving no trace of a stem in the bellybutton.One of the best ways to choose a rough-skinned melon is also the most obvious: Give it a whiff. When fully ripe, these melons develop a heavenly musky floral perfume that you can smell at the other end of the produce section. Remember, though, that it is but one step from fully ripe to overripe. Melons can be too soft and too fragrant.Sadly, the only one of these clues that works for smooth-skinned melons is the couche. There's no way around it: These fruits are devilishly hard to choose. They don't have netting, so you can't check that. They don't "slip" from the stem, so the bellybutton is no help. They usually don't even have a smell (hence the name Inodorous).The first thing to look for is color. This is extremely subtle, the difference between a "hard" green or white and a "creamy" color. But if you look at several, you'll see the distinction. Though the skins of these melons are smooth, when they are fully mature they will develop a slightly waxy texture.The best indicator of quality I've found in smooth-skinned melons is what growers call "sugar spots." These are brown flecks on the surface. Unfortunately, you'll only see them at farmers markets. Supermarket produce managers tend to regard them as imperfections and wash them off.Remember that there is a difference between ripeness and maturity. Melons will continue to ripen after picking -- the flesh will soften and the aromas and flavors will become more intense -- but they won't get any sweeter. This softening is usually most evident at the blossom end of the fruit. Press gently; if there is a little give, the melon is ripe.If you have a melon that is mature but still feels very firm, leave it at room temperature for a couple of days. Melons can be refrigerated, but only after they're ripe.So much for the Cucumis melons. The elephant in the room that we haven't discussed is the watermelon, perhaps the most popular melon of all -- at least in the United States. Watermelons belong to a different branch of the cucurbit family entirely: Citrullus. Its closest relative is the bitter apple, a small, hard fruit that can be poisonous in moderate doses.And there isn't enough time left in the summer to go down that tangled path.

Provided by Russ Parsons

Categories APPETIZERS, FISH & SHELLFISH, SALADS

Time 1h

Yield Serves 4 to 6

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup water
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Pinch dried red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons minced shallots
1 pound large shell-on shrimp
1/2 (4- to 5-pound) cantaloupe, seeded
1/4 pound wild arugula
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil

Steps:

Bring the white wine, water, vinegar, salt, red pepper flakes and minced shallots to a simmer in a saucepan over high heat. When the liquid boils, add the shrimp. As soon as the liquid returns to the boil, cover it tightly and turn off the heat. When the pan is cool enough, put it in the refrigerator to chill.
When ready to serve the salad, peel and devein the shrimp, reserving the cooking liquid. Cut the cantaloupe into quarters, peel it and cut the flesh crosswise into half-inch-thick slices. Trim the arugula and tear it into bite-sized pieces.
Strain the shrimp cooking liquid. Place 1 tablespoon of it in a small, lidded jar. Add the lemon juice and olive oil and shake well to make a smooth, thick dressing. Taste and add more salt or lemon juice if necessary.
Put the melon slices in a work bowl and add enough dressing to coat lightly (about 2 tablespoons). Toss gently and arrange the melon in a single layer on a serving platter. Add the arugula to the work bowl and add enough dressing to coat lightly. Toss and arrange on top of the melon. Repeat with the peeled shrimp and arrange on top of the arugula. Serve immediately.

ARUGULA AND WATERMELON SALAD

Arugula and Watermelon Salad image

An interesting mix of arugula, watermelon, and feta cheese creates one great summer salad! I like sauteeing and caramelizing the onions for a sweeter salad.

Provided by Joshua

Categories Salad Fruit Salad Recipes

Time 20m

Yield 12

Number Of Ingredients 5

Ingredients

2 (5 ounce) packages arugula
½ large watermelon, seeded and cubed
1 red onion, sliced
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 ½ cups balsamic vinaigrette

Steps:

Toss the arugula, watermelon, red onion, and feta cheese with the balsamic vinaigrette in a large bowl. Serve cold.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 245 calories, Carbohydrate 33.5 g, Cholesterol 11.1 mg, Fat 12.4 g, Fiber 2 g, Protein 4.8 g, SaturatedFat 3 g, Sodium 499.9 mg, Sugar 25.6 g

GRILLED SHRIMP, WATERMELON AND FETA SALAD

Grilled Shrimp, Watermelon and Feta Salad image

This beautiful summer meal comes together in only 30 minutes. Garlicky shrimp and toast take just a few minutes to cook on the grill; the watermelon salad is a cool, crisp take on Greek salad.

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Time 30m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

1 pound large peeled and deveined shrimp, tails removed
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 large cloves garlic, 1 grated, 1 halved
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling the grill grates
1/2 medium watermelon (about 3 pounds), rind removed, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 6 cups), chilled
1 garden cucumber (about 8 ounces), peeled, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
One 4-ounce block feta, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, torn into large pieces, optional
1/2 baguette
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steps:

Put the shrimp in a large resealable plastic bag. Add the oregano, crushed red pepper, grated garlic, lemon zest and juice and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Seal the bag tightly and use your hands to lightly massage the marinade into the shrimp. Marinate for 15 minutes at room temperature.
Prepare a grill or grill pan for high heat; lightly oil the grill grates or pan. Soak the skewers in cold water.
Put the watermelon and cucumber in a mixing bowl. Put the feta and olives on top. If using the mint, scatter most of it over the watermelon mixture. Do not mix.
Thread about 5 shrimp on each skewer. Halve the baguette piece lengthwise, then cut the pieces in half crosswise so you have 4 pieces. Brush the cut sides of the baguette with 2 tablespoons of the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put the bread cut-side down on the grill along with the shrimp. Grill the shrimp until lightly charred in spots on both sides and just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Grill the bread until lightly charred, about 2 minutes. Remove the shrimp and bread to a plate.
Lightly rub the cut sides of the halved garlic onto the hot bread. Put 1 piece of bread on each of 4 serving plates.
Add the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and a large pinch of salt and pepper to the salad, gently stir to combine and divide among the plates. Top each serving of salad with a shrimp skewer. Garnish with the remaining mint if using and serve immediately.

GRILLED SHRIMP, ARUGULA AND WATERMELON SALAD

Grilled Shrimp, Arugula and Watermelon Salad image

Toss a completely refreshing arugula and watermelon salad with cucumber, mint, onion and olive, and top it with spicy grilled shrimp.

Provided by Food Network Canada

Categories grill,salad,Shellfish

Time 25m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
⅓ cup plus 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
8 cups baby arugula (about 8 ounces)
4 cups cubed watermelon
1 cup sliced seedless cucumber
½ cup fresh mint leaves, sliced
½ cup pitted Kalamata olives
¼ cup thinly sliced onion
1 lb(s) large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes

Steps:

Prepare a grill for medium-high heat.
Whisk together the lemon juice, 1/3 cup of the oil and a pinch each of salt and black pepper in a large bowl. Add the arugula, watermelon, cucumber, mint, olives and onion; set aside without tossing.
Toss the shrimp with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the red pepper flakes and a pinch each of salt and black pepper in a medium bowl. Grill until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Toss the salad until well combined and divide between 4 plates. Top with the grilled shrimp.