Friday, July 13, 2007

I Want It Now


It is the perversity of human nature to want what is unattainable. I am particularly guilty of this when it comes to the seasons. I moan about the cold, the rain, the gray skies of winter and imagine perfect happiness will come with the sunshine. But there is nothing that convinces me of the charms of hot soup for dinner, wrapping up in a blanket to read a book, and a crackling fire like the onslaught of summertime heat. I melt, I pine, and I moan some more.

Is perfect happiness attainable? Is it possible to want something and have it right away? Or at least in an hour?

The answer is yes, if you have a ripe cantaloupe on the counter and an ice cream machine ready to kick into action.


This gorgeous sorbet is adapted from The Perfect Scoop, by David Lebovitz. I know, I know, you're saying, "Will she ever get off this Perfect Scoop kick?" No. Not while it's hot and there are still recipes untried. So quit whining and get churning. You know you want it. The cool, refreshing sorbet perfectly captures the full, juicy cantaloupe flavor, piquantly set off by fresh lime juice. Mmmmm. You might be having summer meltdown, but this sorbet can help you hang on till soup weather.

Cantaloupe Sorbet

One 2-lb (1 kg) ripe cantaloupe
1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice, plus more to taste
2 Tbsp dry or sweet white wine or champagne (optional)

Cut the melon in half and scrape out the seeds. Cut the melon halves in quarters and remove the melon in 1 inch pieces, being careful to leave all the green with the skin.

Puree the melon in a blender with the sugar, salt, and lime juice until smooth. Taste, and add additional lime juice if desired and the wine, if using. The addition of alcohol prevents the formation of ice crystals. I made it without alcohol and had no problems with the texture.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Again I say "whine whine whine". I love the heat :-) In the winter I wish it was summer, and in the summer I wish it was longer. Summer clothes, smell of sun screen, wonderful cool things. Summer is so where it's at. Not to mention birthdays.

I wish I could have eaten some of this. It is quiet pretty. Lets make an orange one next, okay? It'll be like a cream-sycle.

Sarah

Anonymous said...

Ok, I am trying this one next! It looks great. My brother has tried cantaloupe gelato a couple of times and he says it always tastes a little bitter. Any ideas?

Cookie baker Lynn said...

Sarah - My name is Lynn and I'm a whiner.

Maria - Perhaps the bitter green part is getting mixed in. Mine was delicious and sweet. Also, be sure the melon is perfectly ripe.

WokandSpoon said...

Hi, my name is Fiona and I'm a whiner too! ;-)

You're definitely getting a lot of use out of that Perfect Scoop book! Think I'll have to invest in it myself! Then again...hehe - if you keep posting the recipes... ;-)

Anonymous said...

Between you and Steamy Kitchen I will have to get an ice cream machine! You both have done some fantastic sorbets and ice creams. They look so tempting.
Listen you aren't the only whiner. I really dislike hot weather.(menopause thing) It gets very humid and muggy here. So far though the summer has been a damp squid. I did some laundry and could not get it dried in or outside of the house. (don't own a clothes dryer) It went moldy...horrible!
There are plenty more whines but I will give you a break. Just so you know, you are not queen of the whiners!

Nora B. said...

I like to complain about the weather,usually about the cold because I love summer. After whining a bit, somehow it makes me feel better ;-) This sorbet looks lovely. I've never had cantaloupe sorbet.

thecoffeesnob said...

Oh my goodness, how much do i love your site. Gorgeous pictures that just make me wanna take a bite out of the screen and great writing. What more could i ask for?

I'm slowly but surely crawling through your archives- i must have bookmarked at least 6 recipes just from the first couple of months. Can't wait to try them. Thanks for sharing, Lynn :)

Amy said...

I love that book! I wish I had made some ice cream that day but I had forgotten to freeze the bowl. :( This cantaloupe sorbet looks delicious!

Kelly-Jane said...

What a gorgeous colour your sorbet is! I really like your picture in the pretty glass. David is just so good!

I bought his other books a while ago and have just finished Room for Dessert, it's great too! Onto Ripe for Dessert now.

Cookie baker Lynn said...

Wok and Spoon - Do we need a 12 step program or just go out for coffee?

Melinda - I know all about moldy clothes. Yuck! You certainly deserve to whine about that!

Nora - The cantaloupe was a change for me, but the picture was too pretty to resist and it turned out beautifully.

Coffee Snob - Wow, thanks so much for the kind words! I'm glad you found me.

Amy - Yes, that is the downside of the freeze-the-bowl kind of ice cream maker. You have to store it in the freezer and can only make one batch per day.

Kelly-Jane - Thanks! Yes, everything from David is terrific.

Jerry said...

I saw this when I flipped through it, and am still leary of it. Cantaloupe sorbet? I guess you got to try it!

Anne said...

I love this flavor. I grew up having this fruit as a refreshing drink during the summer with lots of ice.

This sorbet looks super good!

Anonymous said...

Oh, this looks absolutely divine!! *sigh* if only I had an ice cream maker to share in this ice creamy goodness with you!

Cookie baker Lynn said...

Jerry - if you like cantaloupe, you'll love it.

Anne - ooh, cantaloupe drink? That sounds wonderful!

Ellie - Look on ebay. Lots of Donvier makers for really cheap prices.

Thistlemoon said...

This looks so refreshing! Beautiful photo!

Anh said...

beautiful and interesting! I bet it tastes good, too... Have been missing your beautiful posts when I am away. Now I will catch up! :)

Patricia Scarpin said...

Lynn, your ice creams and sorbets are pure temptation!

I have never seen/thought of a sorbet made with melon.