Melon Gazpacho With Ham Crostini Recipes

BLT CROSTINI

Steps:

• 1. Soak four 6-inch bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes and preheat grill to medium.
• 2. Cut escarole lengthwise, through core, into 4 wedges. Season with salt and pepper. Wrap each wedge tightly with 2 slices of bacon; secure with skewers and brush with 1/4 cup olive oil. Place bundles skewered side down and covered with a disposable aluminum pan on grill. Cook, turning occasionally until bacon is crisp, about 12 minutes.
• 3. Lightly brush bread with additional olive oil, season with salt and black pepper to taste and char on grill, about 1 minute per side. Remove and rub bread with cut side of tomato halves until toasts are saturated with tomato's juices.
• 4. Top each crostini with an escarole bundle and serve with a lemon wedge.

MELON GAZPACHO WITH HAM CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium. Place 4 soup bowls in the freezer. Thread the chile and garlic on a skewer. Brush the chile-garlic skewer, bell pepper and onion with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Grill until well marked, about 4 minutes per side. Add the bread halfway through and grill until toasted, about 2 minutes per side.
• Transfer the grilled bell pepper, onion, chile and garlic to a blender. Add 6 cups cantaloupe, the vinegar and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Puree until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Transfer the soup to a medium bowl set inside a large bowl of ice to chill. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until cold, at least 10 minutes.
• While the soup chills, spread the aïoli on the grilled bread and top with the ham. Finely dice the remaining 1 cup cantaloupe. Serve the soup in the chilled bowls and top with the diced cantaloupe, parsley and a few grinds of pepper. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Serve with the ham crostini.

HONEYDEW MELON GAZPACHO

Steps:

• Roughly chop the melon and add to the bowl of a food processor, reserving some for garnish. Chop the cucumber and halve the grapes and add to the food processor. Top with the spinach, basil, scallions and serrano. Splash in the olive oil, champagne vinegar, lime juice and honey. Process until the ingredients are combined, about 1 minute. Add half the avocado and process again until the avocado has been completely incorporated, about 30 seconds. Season to taste with salt and pepper and thin with ice water if necessary to reach desired consistency.
• Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• To serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the diced honeydew, sliced avocado, and cilantro leaves. Serve with wedges of lime on the side.