Melon & Strawberries in Honey Sauce

Ingredients:
1/4 c. honey
1 tbsp grated orange rind
2-3 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp Grand Marnier
1 large cantaloupe (about 1 1/2 lbs), seeded, peeled, and cut into 1-inch pieces (2 1/2 cups)
1 cup strawberries, washed, hulled, and halved or quartered, depending on size (about 3/4 cup)

1. Combine the honey, orange rind, orange juice, and Grand Marnier in a bowl large enough to hold the melon and strawberries. Add both fruits and toss thoroughly.

2. Refrigerate until serving time (can be assembled up to 6 hours ahead).

3. At serving time, divide the fruit mixture among 4 goblets.

I used a "Tuscan Extra Sweet" Cantaloupe. It looks pretty much like a regular cantaloupe, except for greenish ridges on the outside that are supposed to fade in color as it ripens. It really was quite sweet and the rind was very thin. I think because of that, I didn't end up needing the whole thing - half of the melon yielded close to 3 cups, diced.

I also ran into some issues with my honey, which had crystallized. Running the bottle under hot water melted it enough to get it out of the container, and I even zapped the sauce in the microwave after mixing to try and get all the honey dissolved but I still ended up with some gritty bits in the bottom. By the time we ate the dish though, it either all disappeared, or we just didn't notice since I strained out the liquid as I served.

Cheats & Changes:
I left out the Grand Marnier since we had small children eating with us. I also once again used my handy microplane to zest the entire orange, which I think came out to more or less 1 tablespoon. I juiced half of the same orange which yielded just over 3 tbsp.

The Verdict:
Like most of the rest of this menu, I thought this was good, but not a knockout by any means. And like the cole slaw, this was also a dish that benefited from having some time to marinate/macerate before serving. The melon I bought was so so sweet that I'm not sure the honey sauce really added anything. I think this would be better with either just the strawberries, or perhaps some melon that hasn't quite ripened. However, the kids loved it and had at least 3 (toddler-sized) helpings each. But I suppose they'll scarf down anything that's marinated in sugar or honey.

Blueberries au Citron

Ingredients:
1 lemon
1/4 c. maple syrup
1 pint (12 oz.) blueberries, preferably small wild ones

1. Using a vegetable peeler, remove 4 pees from the lemon and set them aside. Cut the lemon in half, and press it to obtain the juice (about 2 tbsp).

2. Mix the lemon juice and maple syrup in a bowl large enough to hold the blueberries.

3. Rinse the blueberries well in cool water, removing and discarding any damaged berries or foreign matter. Drain the berries well, and add them to the syrup mixture, along with the lemon peel. Mix well and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

I made this recipe once before, when I first got this book. I'm embarrassed to admit, it was kind of awful, in large part because I think I used Mrs. Butterworth instead of real maple syrup. Gag. Thankfully, I now know better.

Cheats & Changes:
I zested the entire lemon with my handy microplane grater rather than shave a few slices with a vegetable peeler, as stated in the recipe. I think you get more lemon flavor, plus it looks nicer than having these large, inedible hunks of peel.

The Verdict:
T & I both really loved this. In fact, we snarfed it down so quickly (and straight out of the serving bowl, no less) that I forgot to take pictures before it was all gone. Oops. Just picture fresh blueberries, in a light syrupy glaze. And pretend that the picture is perfectly lit and in-focus.

The lemon juice and maple syrup was a surprisingly nice combo - very light and sweet and refreshing. I think it'd actually be a nice glaze for other fruits as well. I will definitely be making this again, in fact probably tonight since I have about a pound of blueberries still.