Melon With Mint Lime Syrup And Jalapeno Adapted From Food And Wine Magazine Recipes

Steps:

• Combine the olive oil and lime juice in a bowl. Add the watermelon, mint and jalapenos and toss with the lime juice and olive oil mixture. Season with salt and eat with your favorite chips.

Steps:

• Place 4 cups 1/2 inch-cubed watermelon (about 1 1/4 pounds; lightly smashed) and 6 sprigs mint (lightly crushed) in a pitcher. For still infused water, add 2 quarts of water. For sparkling water, add 1 quart of seltzer during prep and a second quart just before serving. Refrigerate 2 to 4 hours to allow the ingredients to infuse. Stir well and strain, discarding the solids. For serving, add fresh watermelon and mint sprigs for garnish and plenty of ice. The infused water will keep refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Steps:

• Bring sugar and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add mint sprigs and chile. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Remove syrup from heat; cover and let steep for 15 minutes for flavors to infuse.
• Strain syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl; stir in lime juice. DO AHEAD: Syrup can be made 1 week ahead. Keep chilled.
• Arrange melon slices in a 13x9x2" glass baking dish. Pour syrup over melon in baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours to allow flavors to meld.
• Divide melon slices among plates, overlapping them decoratively. Pour remaining syrup in dish into a small pitcher. DO AHEAD: Melon carpaccio can be made up to 5 hours ahead. Cover and chill melon and remaining syrup separately.
• Drizzle some of syrup over melon. Place a scoop of sorbet in center of each plate, if using; garnish with mint leaves and lime zest.

Steps:

• Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment. Using an 18cm round cake tin or plate as a guide, draw a circle on the parchment, then flip it over. Heat the oven to 130C/110C fan/gas ½.
• Rub the reserved lemon half around the inside of a large bowl or stand mixer, then wipe with kitchen paper to remove any butter or oil. Tip in the egg whites and whisk with an electric whisk or the mixer on a low speed until the whites form small, foamy bubbles, about 1-2 mins. Keep going until the mix looks like shaving foam, then add the sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, until it's a thick, glossy meringue. Rub some between your fingers - if you can feel any grains of sugar, keep whisking for a few minutes. Add the cornflour, lemon juice and vanilla, and whisk for another 30 seconds.
• Spoon the meringue onto the prepared baking sheet, into the centre of the circle, and spread it out to the edges with a palette knife. Swipe the knife around the edge, then smooth the top.
• Bake for 1 hr 15 mins, then turn the oven down to 100C/80C fan/gas ¼ and bake for 1 hr. Turn the oven off and leave the pavlova inside to cool for at least 2 hrs, or overnight.
• Carefully invert the pavlova and peel away the parchment. Don't worry if it cracks a little - it will be covered by the topping.
• To make the topping, blitz the mint with the caster sugar. Whisk the double cream and natural yogurt with an electric whisk until just holding its shape. Sprinkle over the lime zest and mint sugar, then fold into the cream mix with a large metal spoon to ripple. Spoon over the pavlova. Top with the rest of the mint sugar, the watermelon and more mint. Serve with lime wedges to squeeze over. Best served straightaway but leftovers will keep in the fridge for two days.

Steps:

• In a small heatproof bowl, pour 1/2 cup boiling water over sugar and mint; stir until sugar has dissolved. Let cool completely, about 20 minutes. Strain syrup into a blender; discard mint.
• Add watermelon, lime juice, and 1 3/4 cups cold water; blend until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve.
• Serve over ice, garnished with a mint sprig, or refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days. If using tequila, stir a shot (1-ounce) into each glass before serving.

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 1/2 cup water; place over medium-high heat. Bring just to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until syrup has thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in lime juice, and chill in an ice-water bath.
• Meanwhile, cut the melons into attractive 1/4-inch-thick slices. Transfer to a serving dish, drizzle with the cooled syrup, garnish with mint leaves, and serve immediately.