MELON AND OLIVE MINI SKEWERS WITH BLACK PEPPER HONEY

Melon and Olive Mini Skewers with Black Pepper Honey image

Provided by Giada De Laurentiis

Time 25m

Yield 24 mini skewers

Number Of Ingredients 8

3/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons freshly ground coarse black pepper
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 medium sprigs fresh rosemary
1/2 large or 1 small cantaloupe melon, seeded and peeled
One 7-ounce can jumbo pitted green olives, rinsed and drained
One 8-ounce container bite-size fresh mozzarella balls (ciliegine), drained and patted dry
2 cups small fresh basil leaves

Steps:

For the honey: Stir together the honey, 1/4 cup water, the pepper, thyme and rosemary in a small saute pan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly. Strain the honey into a small bowl and set aside while you assemble the skewers.
For the skewers: Using a melon baller, scoop out 24 rounds from the peeled melon. Thread each skewer with a melon ball, basil leaf, mozzarella ball, another basil leaf and an olive. To serve, place the skewers on a platter and drizzle with the honey.