Hey Amy!

I caught a glimpse of a few very small melons this week at the market. Here comes the entire meals made of fresh fruit! I cannot wait. Nothing beats a spoon and a half of a melon. This recipe is good for those vegetarian requests I have been getting. I didn’t forget about you! Melon Puree with Fruited Risotto is an impressive group of flavors that looks impressive when presented. It can be a beginning course, a meal (lunch, hot night after working out) or a dessert. Don’t forget to experiment with all sorts of berries. Their different flavors dramatically change this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 tsp. wheat germ oil
1/2 c. Arborio rice
2 Tbs. pine nuts
1 1/2 c. apple, orange or grape juice
12 oz. cantaloupe
1 tbs. honey
1 c. fresh seasonal berries

Heat oil in a good size saute pan over a low heat. Add the rice and pine nuts and gently saute until the rice becomes slightly translucent. Pour in half of the juice and simmer gently, stirring continuously until the rice texture starts to become grainy. Add the remaining juice, and bring to a boil briefly. Remove the pan from the heat, cover tightly and let stand until cool. Refrigerate the mixture until read to serve, including overnight if you like.

Cut the melon into chunks. In a blender, puree the melon flesh with the honey. Wash the berries and cut into bite-size pieces if you are using strawberries. Pour the melon puree into deep bowls and stir in the berries, dividing evenly. Top each serving with a scoop of the rice and serve. YUM.

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