Email Hen House Market - Jasper mirabile

1 Hen House Market Athena Melon
½ cup raspberries, gently washed
1 cup fresh orange juice + 1 Tabl. grated orange rind
½ cup white wine
2 tablespoons Good Natured Family Farms Honey
10 mint leaves, stems removed and cut into thin strips
Whipped cream & mint sprigs for garnish

Wash & peel melon, cut in half, remove seeds. Cut half into large chunks. Dice the remainder and chill. Process melon chunks in a blender with the orange juice, orange rind, wine & honey. Puree until smooth. Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl and stir in the mint. Chill. To serve: Add the reserved diced melon to the soup. Ladle the soup into chilled bowls, topped with fresh raspberries and a sprig of fresh mint & a dollop of whipped cream.

Jasper Mirabile's Melon Trivia: It isn't apparent when you eat them, but the melon is closely related to the cucumber. They are both assigned to the same genus. The history of the melons is quite fascinating. Their use by humans dates back to over four thousand years. Both the ancient Egyptians and the Romans enjoyed melons. They have long been enjoyed in the Middle East. Apparently these sweet melons were originally native to either Asia or tropical Africa. Though we may think of them as a modern garden crop, the melon was in cultivation during colonial times in America.