Watermelon and Cantaloupe Gazpacho is refreshing soup
By Sara Moulton
Watermelon and Cantaloupe Gazpacho takes advantage of the wonderful melons that are abundant at this time of year. It's a refreshing end-of-summer soup and a choice dish with which to launch a late summer party. I call it a gazpacho, but I'm using the term very loosely because it makes no use of tomatoes. What puts it within shouting distance of the classic Spanish soup is that it's served chilled and it's chunky.
There are a few key steps in the making of it. Start by looking for the ripest melons you can find. The watermelon should have a large yellow or white mark somewhere on its skin. This telltale spot is the one on which the melon rested as it grew. The more pronounced the spot, the more time the melon has spent ripening. The cantaloupe should boast a rich golden color and smell strongly of, well, cantaloupe when you take a whiff of its stem end.
To achieve the smoothest possible texture, you will need to puree the melon in a blender. No other machine produces so creamy a result. To point up and counterbalance the melon's natural sweetness, start with the suggested amounts of lemon and lime, although you may decide to add more if your melon is exceptionally sweet.
Heat, like acid, is another way to balance sugar, which is why I've built some chopped chiles into this recipe. But I also happen to be a fan of the hot stuff. If you're not, leave them out.
The feta cheese contributes not only to the unique flavor of the soup, but also adds a dose of saltiness, providing some welcome contrast to the sweetness of the fruit. But feel free to swap in sour cream if that's what you'd prefer.
The mint is a strong accent all by itself, but you could replace it with basil and/or cilantro - or add them to accompany the mint. However you adjust the flavorings, be sure to serve the finished product chilled.
• Sara Moulton is host of public television's "Sara's Weeknight Meals." She was executive chef at Gourmet magazine for nearly 25 years and spent a decade hosting several Food Network shows, including "Cooking Live." Her latest cookbook is "Home Cooking 101."