Melon Fruit Bowl
The fruits bowls are from my backyard – yes the cantaloupes. We harvested about eight cantaloupes this year; not a lot but the garden had been harassed and devoured by our bunnies, even before the plants got to grow.
While we have been very patiently bearing the natural devastation by the yard friends, I am happy that I could at least get my hand on some of the fruits.I have given up tending them, but some of them are still looking good. We have had about 10 bitter melons, few hot peppers – some growing downwards while some reach out straight for the sun. We have also had a bunch of methi/ fenugreek greens, pohi/pui, baby spinach, a lot of mint and a few purple potatoes. The potatoes gave me hope, for I had planted only a couple of roots which grew out of the potatoes at home.
Spinach –
The Purple Potatoes –
Bittermelons, Peppers and Cantaloupe
While everyone is summoning the fall, it still feels like summer here – the heat has come down, it is pleasant and the vegetables and flowers are actually doing way better than they did during peak summer. This time of the year is one of the best times down south. Cooler mornings and evenings and lots of lovely flowers which we can actually enjoy being able to be outside without getting fried.
The cantaloupes from the yard do not come in jumbo sizes we get in the supermarket. They just big enough to be enjoyed by my girls at one go.
All the melons from the yard end up as the melon ball fruit salad in their individual bowls or the melon boats. They best part is that the little hands can make this salad all by themselves They love scooping out the flesh of their own bowls, mixing it up with the other ingredients and then they make themselves comfortable on the dining table, eating and being really really proud.
The fruit bowls may be done with honeydew or even watermelon for a bigger party. This is really a no recipe. But it is such a favorite with my kids that they insisted I put it in the blog… here it is for my girls.
Melon Fruit Bowl
Ingredients:
- 1 cantaloupe or honeydew
- any other assortment of fruits and berries, chopped – (I have used blueberries, strawberries and blackberries)
- sugar/honey/agave nectar or any other sweetener
- salt
- fresh lime juice
- fresh mint leaves, finely chopped or shredded + some more to garnish
- very lightly toasted sliced almonds or any other nuts
- Optional: some ginger juice or thinly sliced crystalline ginger
Preparation:Cut a thin strip around each end of the cantaloupe without making holes; this is to make the cantaloupe halves sit straight and flat.
Divide the cantaloupe into half, horizontally. Scoop out and discard the seeds and the membrane
Use a melon baller to scoop out the tiny balls from each half of the cantaloupe shell. remove them in a big bowl. Combine the other fruits, sugar, lemon juice, ginger juice/chopped ginger and mint leaves and toss well. Refrigerate till ready to use.
Spoon the fruit mix back into the cantaloupe halves and top them with nuts and fresh mint. Pour in the fruit juice that accumulates in the bowls.
(If you need to serve it later, refrigerate the fruits and fill in the bowls only when ready to serve.)
Serve chilled.
My girls usually have the melon balls their after school snack – cool, refreshing and nourishing. Perfect for light fruity dessert or an anytime snack.
This post is sent to Andrea’s GYO #45 hosted at the Girlichef.
GYO Round Up Update.
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From other blogs:
So pretty, delicious and fresh!
Cheers,
Rosa
Darun byapar to……nijer barir jinish i alada…purple potato e prothom dekhlam….Melo bowl ta darun tempting hoechhe……parle amar blog ta akbar dekho..koekta post korechhi..tomar bhalo lagte pare….
Oh its almost like this recipe of mine http://www.indiansimmer.com/2010/08/crunchy-cantaloupe-and-blueberry-salad.html
Soma, I envy you having a garden where you grow your own fruit and vegetables. Never heard of purple tomatoes before, I wonder how they should taste.
The fruit salad sounds delicious in the melon bowls.
Gorgeous fruit salad. Loved the fruit cups a lot. Such a refreshing one !!
Soma, this fruit salad look so pretty, lovely idea using the melon as a bowl 🙂
A lovely and refreshing Salad. I love melons.
Never heard of purple potatoes before…
As always you made them look beautiful. I would have mistook the potatoes to be beets. 8 is very good Soma. Last year I got 1 cantaloupe from the vine 🙂
Such lovely photos Soma. Dekhei mone hochhe melon balls gulo mukhe pure di. Very innovative and refreshing way to serve fruit salad. Dallas e khhorgosh achhe na ki? Aami to kakhono dekhini!
fruit bowl looks so good,..loved the goodies from ur garden,,/:-)
That melon bowl looks awesome! And so are your summer produces.
Its really exciting to grow vegetables… see them grow … and ten finally you get to savour them..
the fruit basket is simple but it still looks so tantalizing.. the vibrancy of the colors makes it look so exotic… like its being served in a luxury hotel…
Oh my! It looks so delicious and refreshing! Nothing beats a bowl of fresh fruit on a hot summer day 🙂
tomar melon boat er post ta ami bookmark kore rekhechi anekdin. chele ektu boro hole banabo. eta darun hoeche dekhte. majhe majhe watermelon ar sab summer fruits die salad banie khai tabe ei scooping er idea ta khub cute. anek neat hay.
nijer barir sobzi khete sab theke beshi bhalo lage. achha tomra matite ki meshao boloto, orkom black colour er hay ki kore? Bangalore er mati ato kharap je ki bolbo. tobu dinrat pore thaki jetuku hay.
ar thanks oi chobi die corn er post ta update karar jonyo. idea ta bhalo ebar theke fresh corn ene banabo.
What a gorgeous fruit bowl !!! Darun idea ta Looks so refreshing …
Deepa
Hamaree Rasoi
hii..first time here..yummy reicpes….beautiful blog…happy to follow u….do visit my space
Lavanya
http://www.lavsblog.com
I’m so jealous of your garden Soma…..but love all the clicks & melon bowls look so perfect for any time of the day.
Oh, they are soooo beautiful!! Seriously, almost too pretty to eat (although, I think I’d manage just fine). Thank you so much for submitting this to GYO this mont 🙂
Lovely salad. I am sure I will try this one ! It looks so nice!
Such a fun presentation! I’ve seen watermelons used this way too. So refreshing, I just want to dig in right away.
An amazing colorful presentation in a melon bowl! Love it!
You’ve them at your backyard wow! How beautiful way to eat fruits lovely presentation that calls to bite it 🙂
Cheers,
Gera
That’s so cute! 🙂
Wow, u ve a great veggie patch i guess! I only tried peppers,brinjal is still growing, straw and cherry tomatoes. Always a pleasure to eat something from the backyard!
Beautiful!
I am envious. I want a backyard too 🙂 …look at those freshness.
Inspiring! Fun way to spice up the table/sounds frickin delicious.
I could have sworn I had commented here earlier, maybe my PC ate up the comment before it got posted, that is quite a bounty you have from your garden, but the melon bowls are the winner. very creative idea to use them for serving.
Your melons are beautiful. I have never had much luck growing melons. This is so eye-catching and I bet that it tasted fresh and delightful. I hate to see the bounty of my garden leaving, as much as I enjoy fall.
We have “mini” cantaloupes growing in our garden, too. Like you, our crop wasn’t tremendous this year, but enough to eat. I’m going to try your “bowl” idea with a couple that are left. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hey Soma… made a similar basket inspired by you…posted it in my blog… please check when you get time…thanks for the wonderful ideas!
http://swapnascuisine.blogspot.com/2010/11/melon-fruit-bowl.html
I love this idea! I got inspired and made a melon bowl filled with yogurt and berries! Doesn’t look as pretty as yours though!! – wish I could grow melons in my yard!! I hope you don’t mind I have linked your blog on my yogurt melon bowl recipe: http://traveleatbake.com/yogurt-melon-bowl/
Thank you for the awesome idea!! xx