Lately we’ve had a surplus of fruit. Lots of rain, and at the right time, has resulted in our trees being completely weighted down with pears, plums and quinces. So yes, there will be a jam making/canning post in the near future.
Because with those types of fruits, preserving is no problem. Add a bit of sugar and heat, and we’re set for the winter.
But we have also been blessed with WAY too many melons. No, we didn’t grow them ourselves. Melons need copious amounts of irrigation, which we don’t have. Our sturdy fruit orchard relies purely on nature.
Our handy man, however, works mornings picking fruit and vegetables, at a farm down by the river. He gets part time work all during the summer, and late August is melon time. So when Domenico arrives to pick him up in the morning, at the melon field, he fills up the trunk with melons that have been deemed ‘not perfect enough’ for sale. Their only fault, as far as I could see, was that they weren’t completely smooth or had a slight blemish. Go figure.
While I was very excited to have all this free sweetness, I have to admit that after an entire week of prosciutto e melone, and melon for breakfast, even I was getting a bit bored. And since melon is so full of water, it really doesn’t do well in the jam department. It just ends up tasting too vegetal and blah.
Which is why I’ve turned to melon sorbet. Too easy to make, you just have to whizz up the melon in a food processor, with a bit of sugar, then pop it into the gelato machine.
Of course it’s fantastic as is, but even better with a splash of Campari poured over the top. The colors are almost too pretty, but it’s the sweet melon blending with the bitter Campari that I love.
While I’m on a melon sorbet binge now, I’m sure I’ll tire of this too. So if you have any other ideas, I’m all ears. 
melon sorbet with campari
1 very ripe melon (about 2 pounds/ 1 kilo
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Campari
Split the melon in half and scoop out the seeds. Cut the melon into slices, and remove the rind. Then cut the melon into chunks.
Place the melon in a food processor with the sugar , salt and lemon juice, and process until very smooth.
Chill the mixture in the fridge, then freeze it in your ice cream maker.
When it is done, it will still probably be pretty soft. Put it in the freezer for a couple of hours to firm up.
To serve, scoop into individual dishes, and top with Campari.
Since this is a very ‘watery’ sorbet, it tends to crystalize if you leave it for any length of time in the freezer. So either eat it all at once (best option) or else let it rest outside of the freezer for a half hour, then whisk it with a fork and refreeze to firm up. 
Melon Salsa…(I usually don’t do measurements, so here’s my shot at an “official recipe!)
2 c. diced melon (1/4″ – 1/2″ dice)
1 c. diced cucumber
1 chopped serrano chile, seeds removed
1/2 c. chopped red onion
1/2 c. cilantro, rough chop (I grab a handful from my garden…that’s my measurement)
Juice from 1/2 lime (more if needed after tasting)
Sprinkle of salt
Quick drizzle of oil
Mix all ingredients a few hours before serving to let the flavors blend. Serve with chicken or pork or maybe even fish. Enjoy!
Water can be removed from melon by roasting, like you would to concentrate tomatoes. Here’s a recipe using this technique to make a remarkable chilled soup: http://bit.ly/14gYL2K
Don’t you just love melon sorbet…so refreshing and the taste is totally amazing, never tried it with Campari thought, interesting idea! By the way, the melons in the photo are my ultimate melon, I adore them. Hard to find here in Vancouver but every once in a while I luck out! I can’t remember the name of them though. When I see them here they are called “Tuscan” melons. I do like the idea of the salsa, sounds like one I make with mango. Delicious!
We have made a smoothie of cantalope with orange juice and I can’t remember what else. You could add yogurt or other fruits also or vanilla ice cream. Perfect for a warm day!
Smoothie – cantaloupe with apple juice and a peeled cucumber. Really refreshing.
Taverna degli Amici (Tor Margana) were doing a zuppa di melone con prosciutto e gamberoni recently…..
Elizabeth–we make cold melon soup–very easy, beautiful and yummy. Peel and cut the melon in big chunks and put in the food processer. For each half melon add the juice and zest of one lime, a chili or jalapeno seeded and cut in pieces and a pinch of kosher salt. Process until the mixture is smooth and chill. We make one batch with cantaloupe and one with honeydew. For serving, put in a rim soup or cereal bowl pouring each melon on the left and right side of the bowl so that the colors are separated (and if you pour carefully at the same time, they don’t blend) then sprinkle toasted slivered almonds where the colors meet (to simulate “seeds”). Gets rave reviews!! I love your blog.
Gosh Elizabeth! You and Rachel (Rachel Eats blog) must have been on the same wavelength as regards melon –she posted about a melon granita with campari and now you about a melon and campari sorbet. I know how to read, I do, and I think I could just about concoct one of these recipes. But I think I would like the pair of you to invite me over for a melon-campari competition one of these days and let me be the judge, tee hee!!! It sounds just the business when it’s hot hot hot ….!