I’m going to keep this short today, as I just flew back from across the country and am suffering from a slight amount of jet lag. I spent a few short but much needed days visiting family back in Ottawa, sitting at their cottage, watching the waves roll in and catching up with my grandpa.
Who just so happens to be 94 (!) and still rockin’ it. He paints every day and never goes a night without his double rum and soda. Grandpas really are the best! ❤
It was mighty hot back there, with a high humidex, so a lot of the days I honestly didn’t feel like eating much. I know, ME!? But when temperatures hover around 38°C, the only things that seem appealing are iced coffees and fresh fruit. During the day, at least. Once dinnertime hits, the BBQ is fair game.
Cataloupe is one of summer’s hidden gems; from the months of June to August, cantaloupes are at their best in flavour. The juicy melon is one of my all-time favourite summer snacks.
Cantaloupe is often enjoyed by itself or in salads, but I thought I’d take it one step further and utilize the fresh fruit as a dessert. I got the idea from one of my favourite dessert cookbooks –Dessert of the Day – and it really blew me away. It’s utterly simple, but it turns a healthy snack into a sweet, unique dessert.
I’ve changed the spices slightly to adjust it to my taste buds. A simple syrup is spiced with fresh ginger, lemon juice, and cardamom, then tossed with cantaloupe. It’s as simple as that!
Cardamom is one of my favourite spices to pair with fresh fruit. It’s taste is difficult to describe, but to me it’s ultimately exotic. It’s fresh, fragrant, slightly minty, slightly spicy, and it elevates the sweetness of the fruit without making it sickeningly sweet. Cardamom is pretty potent, so be careful when you use it. A little goes a long way!
I recommend using whole cardamom pods and crushing them, but if you have ground cardamom, that will work too. Just start with a pinch and add more as you need it.
Once you’ve whipped together the syrup (it only takes 10 minutes), toss it with the cantaloupe right away for a warmed dessert, or let the syrup cool in the fridge until fully chilled. Personally, I prefer it cold, as the chilled syrup and cold, juicy melon is a wonderful, refreshing summer dessert.
Enjoy on a patio with friends (and a digestif, of course).
| Cantaloupe in a Cardamom-Spiced Syrup | Print |
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup water
- 2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 12 cardamom pods, crushed
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 cantaloupe, peeled, seeded, and diced into 1-inch pieces
- Ground cardamom (optional)
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add the sugar and water, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add the ginger, cardamom pods, lemon juice, and lemon zest, and simmer for about 10 minutes until thickened. Let cool and then strain through a fine mesh sieve.
- Toss together the cantaloupe and syrup; serve with a sprinkle of ground cardamom, if desired.
Cardamom is one of my favourites too! So intoxicating! This looks like a great little recipe! Really fresh and fragrant!
Thank you, Katie! ❤
This sounds so, so good. For some reason I’m always trying to find new uses for cardamom too – its just such a great pairing with all kinds of fruit/sweet things/ savory things… it’s just awesome.
Right!? It’s such a unique flavour, and one that I truly love experimenting with!