CHILLED MELON, CUCUMBER AND MINT SALAD

Chilled Melon, Cucumber and Mint Salad image

Provided by Alex Guarnaschelli

Time 20m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 7

2 medium melons, such as cantaloupe, Galia or honeydew
2 medium hothouse cucumbers, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes and chilled
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Zest and juice from 1 small lime
1 tablespoon honey
6 fresh mint sprigs, stemmed
Freshly ground black pepper

Steps:

Place the melons on a flat surface and split each one in half. Scoop out and discard the seeds. Use the larger-size scoop on a melon baller to scoop out the flesh. The goal is to tightly pack about 6 generous cups of melon flesh and then hollow the four melon halves out for presentation. Scrape the halves with a spoon to smooth the insides and gather additional flesh (and trap any juices) in a separate bowl until you have 1 heaping cup. Save the melon halves. Refrigerate the melon balls.
Place the melon scraps and juices in a blender and add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, the lime zest and juice and honey. Puree until smooth and taste for seasoning. Add more honey, if needed. Add a splash of water if more liquid is needed to make a smooth puree. Refrigerate.
In a medium bowl, toss the cucumbers with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and a generous amount of black pepper. Toss the melon balls with the dressing. Sprinkle the cucumbers and mint over the melon and mix a little. Fill the melon halves.