Welcome to Rocky Ford Melon of La Junta Colorado

MELON RECIPES
COOKING WITH CANTALOUPE

If you are looking for great ideas for cooking and preparing cantaloupe, please browse our library of recipes below.

Drinks (TOP)

Costa Rican Melon Fresco
1 Cantaloupe melon
1/2 c -Cold water
2 tb Lime juice
1 tb Sugar, instant dissolving; fruit/berry sugar -OR- icing sugar

If using fruits with seeds, remove the seeds first; other fruits may be combined in the blender, poured over ice and enjoyed. Some of the most delicious frescos are made with mulberry, soursop, papaya and starfruit, but they can also be made with peaches or strawberries - or with home grown cantaloupe. After pureeing, you can adjust the sweetness to taste.
Peel and seed melon, chop coarsely. In blender, puree melon, water, lime juice and sugar until frothy and smooth. Divide among 4 glasses, adding ice if desired. Serve immediately.

Cantaloupe Cooler
2 lb Cantaloupe; 1 Md.
1 1/2 c Orange Juice
1/4 ts Salt
1/4 ts Ginger; Ground
1 tb Lime Juice
5 1/3 oz Sweetened Condensed Milk;1 Cn
Garnish:
Mint Sprigs
Lime; Thinly Sliced

Cut the cantaloupe in half and remove the seeds, then peel and slice into wedges. Chop the wedges in to pieces that will fit a food processor or blender. Add all of the ingredients, including the cantaloupe, and puree until very smooth. Refrigerate for several hours to blend the flavors. (As this soup can separate very easily, be sure to stir just before serving.) Serve cold with a garnish of fresh mint or lime slices.

Cantaloupe Smoothie
1 Ripe banana
1/4 Ripe cantaloupe
1/2 c Nonfat or low-fat yogurt
2 tb Skim-milk powder
1 1/2 tb Orange-juice concentrate
2 ts Honey

Place unpeeled banana in the freezer overnight or for up to 3 months. Remove banana from the freezer and let it sit for 2 minutes, or until the skin begins to soften. With a paring knife, remove the skin. (Don't worry if a little fiber remains.) Cut the banana into chunks and put in a blender or food processor. Seed the cantaloupe quarter and cut the flesh from the rind. Cut the flesh into chunks and add to the blender. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
Serves 1.

Soups (TOP)

Cantaloupe and Peach Smoothie Soup
1/2 lb Small Peaches; peeled, pitted, sliced
1 1/2 c Ripe Cantaloupe; diced
1 3/4 c Apricot Nectar; (up To 2)
2 tb Nonfat Yogurt
1 ts Fresh Lemon Juice; (up To 2)
Zest of 1 Orange
1 c Fresh Raspberries

In blender puree peaches, cantaloupe, 1 1/2 cups nectar, yogurt and 1 teaspoon lemon juice until smooth. Add more nectar and lemon juice as needed. Chill at least 1 hour. Can be made day ahead and refrigerated. Just before serving, mix well. Taste for sugar-sweet balance. Divide soup evenly among 4 chilled soup bowls. Garnish with raspberries. Serve chilled. Makes 4 servings.

Cantaloupe Soup
4 Ripe small cantaloupes *
6 oz Orange juice concentrate
1 c Honey **
1/2 ts Cinnamon (more to taste)
1 c Whipping cream
1/2 c Calvados
Mint sprigs (garnish)

*Note: Cantaloupes should be peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks. ** Amount of honey may be decreased if cantaloupes are very sweet. Puree cantaloupe in blender or processor until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients except mint and mix well. Chill thoroughly. Serve in chilled stemmed glasses or glass bowls and garnish with mint sprigs. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Colorado Cantaloupe Soup
1 Ripe cantaloupe, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
1/2 c Dry sherry
2 tb Honey
1 tb Fresh lime juice

Put all ingredients into food processor or blender and mix well. Chill covered in refrigerator. Blend again before serving to mix together.

Salads (TOP)

Melon Grape Salad
1 c Cantaloupe; cubed
1 c Watermelon; cubed & seeded
2 c Grapes; green seedless
5 ts Lime juice
1/2 c Honey
2 tb Mustard; dijon

Toss fruit with 1 Tbsp of lime juice and refrigerate, covered. When ready to serve, pour out the liquid, drying out serving bowl. Whisk together remaining lime juice, honey and mustard. Toss with fruit.

Ambrosia Fruit Salad
1 c Cantaloupe; diced
1 cn Pineapple tidbits or fresh pineapple (2 oz)
1/4 c Brown sugar
1/2 ts Orange peel; grated
2 Oranges
2 Apples; diced
1 tb Coconut; shredded

Drain pineapple, save 1/4 cup juice in a small saucepan. Set pineapple and cantaloupe aside. Add brown sugar and orange peel to the pineapple juice, heat until sugar dissolves. Peel and dice oranges into a large fruit bowl. Add apple, cantaloupe and pineapple. Add pineapple juice mixture and stir gently. Chill about 1 hour. Add coconut right before serving.

Cantaloupe Fruit Salad
2 Med. Cantaloupes *
1 Large Pineapple **
1 c Raisins
1 c Fresh Shredded Coconut
1 c Finely Chopped Walnuts
1 Large Apple ***
1 x Low-fat Yogurt

* Remove rind and seeds from cantaloupe ** Cored, Peeled, and cut into small chunks. *** Cored and cut into small chunks. Cut the cantaloupes into small chunks and mix with all the other fruits and the walnuts in a large Salad bowl. Scoop yogurt into individual serving bowls and pass the fruit salad. Stir to coat and eat.

Sauce (TOP)

Cantaloupe Dressing (With Variations)
1 c Cantaloupe
1/2 c Lowfat yogurt; vanilla or plain
4 ts Sugar; or less

Cut cantaloupe into chunks and place in the bowl of a food processor. Add other ingredients blend thoroughly. Chill or serve immediately over fruit salad.
May be used as "stock" for a soup; add cucumbers and spices, to taste.
For a tangier Dressing: use 1/2 cup kiwi fruit in place of 1-cup melon.

Minted Cantaloupe Sauce
1/3 c Granulated sugar
2 Sprigs mint
1/4 c Water
2 tb Fresh, frozen, or
1 c Diced cantaloupe
canned lemon juice

Combine sugar and water. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved; boil 1 min. Add cantaloupe, mint; bring to boil. Remove from heat; add lemon juice. Refrigerate- remove mint. Makes 1 cup.
Spoon over slices of vanilla ice cream; garnish with fresh mint leaves.

Desert (TOP)

Cantaloupe with Ice Cream
1 Whole cantaloupe
4 Scoops vanilla ice cream
2 Sprigs mint; optional garnish
Cut melons in half, remove seeds and fill cavities with equal amounts of ice cream. Serve immediately with mint sprig garnish (optional).

Cantaloupe Ice Cream
6 Egg yolks; beaten
1 c Milk
1 1/4 c Sugar
2 lg Cantaloupe; ripe, peeled and pureed
1/4 c Lemon juice
2 c Whipping cream

Combine egg yolks, milk, and sugar in a large mixing bowl; beat until sugar is dissolved. Add remaining ingredients, mixing well. Pour into freezer trays. Cover and freeze about 1 hour or until firm around edges.
spoon mixture into a mixing bowl, and beat on medium speed of an electric mixer 2 to 3 minutes or until smooth. Return mixture to freezer trays; cover and freeze until firm.

Melon-Mango Sorbet
3 lg Mangoes, peeled & pitted
1 c Cantaloupe chunks
1/2 c Maple syrup
1/2 c Water
2 tb Lime juice
1/4 c Mint leaves, for garnish

In a blender, puree mangoes, cantaloupe, maple syrup, water & lime juice until very smooth. Pour into a shallow pan & place in a freezer. When the sorbet begins to freeze around the edges, stir well. Continue stirring every hour for 2 or 3 hours, until the mixture has frozen solid. Cover & let sorbet coninue to freeze overnight. Before serving, let the sorbet thaw for 10 minutes: cut into chunks, puree briefly in a blender then scoop into serving dishes. Garnish with mint leaves if desired.

Extras (TOP)

Champagne Fruit Parfait
2 c Watermelon balls
2 c Honeydew melon balls
2 c Cantaloupe balls
2 c Pineapple chunks in juice -- Drained
1 c Strawberries
1 c Grapes
1 c Peaches -- sliced
Lemon juice
Champagne -- *see note
Mint sprigs

* For a non-alcoholic version, substitute ginger ale for Champagne.
Mix fruits VERY gently. Arrange in attractive pattern in parfait glasses. Sprinkle each with few drops of lemon juice. Be sure to have a whole strawberry in each glass. Fill each glass with Champagne. Garnish with a mint sprig.

Cantalope Nut Bread
1 3/4 c Flour
1/4 ts Baking soda
2/3 c Sugar
1 Egg
1/2 c Nuts; finely chop, walnuts etc
2 ts Baking powder
1/4 ts Salt
1/3 c Shortening
1 c Cantaloupe; puree, mash, ripe

Mix flour, baking powder, soda and salt and sift 3 times. add nuts to flour mixture. Cream shortening and sugar until fluffy. add egg and blend well. Add cantaloupe pulp. Add flour mixture and nuts, 1/2 cup at a time and blending well after each addition. Turn into a greased and flour 8 x 4 inch loaf pan. bake in a preheated 350 oven for 45 minutes or until tested done. Cool, wrap and let mellow overnight before serving. Nuts may be omitted.
This is a gem with a subtle cantaloupe flavor perfect to serve with cream cheese and fresh fruit Yield: 1, 8 x 4 loaf

Melon Salsa
1 1/2 c Cantaloupe; RIPE or other melon; cubed
2 tb Fresh lime juice
1 tb Lime zest; juilliened
1/4 c Scallions; tops included chopped
4 tb Fresh cilantro; chopped
2 tb Fresh ginger; minced and peeled
1/2 Jalapeno; or other hot chili pepper, seeded & minced
1 tb Peanut oil

Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl and taste carefully for the balance of seasonings, adjusting as needed. Let the flavors mellow fo about hanl an hour before serving. This salsa canb e kept for a day but i is best served soon after it is made.
Makes 2 cups.

34349 Hwy 194 * La Junta, CO 81050
rockyfordmelon@hotmail.com