Cool treats for summer time

Now that we've soared over 100 degrees, it's summer, June 21st or not. Feeling clever for owning my own ice cream maker, I set to work.

Melon Sherbet
4 cups melon, cubed. I used 3 cups cantaloupe and 1 cup of watermelon
3/4 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 cups whipping cream (normally I use something lighter, like fat-free 1/2 & 1/2, but hey, life's short)
2/3 cup sugar (I did only a fuzz under 1/2 cup and it was perfect with the sweet ripe melon)

Blend melon (I discovered it was easiest if you load the watermelon first, then then the cantaloupe because of the water content. Maybe your blender is more industrial-strength than mine). Feeling too lazy to wash extra dishes, I added all the other ingredients to the blender and gave it a quick whirl.Then pour into the ice cream maker according to directions. No ice cream maker? Try freezing it in a cake pan for 3-5 hours, then scraping it with a fork to get a more shaved-ice style treat.
If you've ever had a melon paleta from one of those little Mexican push-cart Popsicle vendors, this is like that, only better.

While I was feeling inspired, I whipped up another cool dish. I swiped the idea from a show I watched over the weekend with my friend Molly called "Mexican Made Easy."


Cucumber and Radish Salad
1 medium to large cuke, thinly sliced (peeled if you prefer)
5-6 medium radishes, thinly sliced
1/4 cup (good size handful) chopped cilantro and/or fresh mint (I was going to do both, but it was pouring buckets so I was not going to chance it running to the garden for mint.)
Juice of 1 lime
2 Tbs. olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Toss cukes and radishes in a medium bowl. Add cilantro/mint. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice and olive oil and a pinch of salt. Taste, then add salt and pepper to taste. Pour over cukes and radishes. Chill until ready to serve, up to 4 hours. I had some of the leftovers the next day, and while tasty, the radishes turned the dressing and cukes pink, which grossed Andy out. Your call.


Stay tuned for my next post "Why Hotdogs are the new Cupcake"