I first made this soup in Provence. The Cavaillon melons in the markets smelled so good that I wanted to feature them in a course of their own. Since we were on a Lavender Getaway at the time, I incorporated lavender honey and fresh lavender into the dish, as well, and loved the combination. If you don’t have access to fresh food-grade lavender, you can use basil instead, as noted below.
Ingredients
1 large ripe summer melon
1/2 cup plain yogurt (I prefer full-fat yogurt for this recipe)
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 Tablespoon lavender honey
Pinch of freshly-ground nutmeg
Large pinch of sea salt
Fresh lavender (food-grade) for garnish
Topping:
1/2 cup yogurt
1 Tablespoon lavender honey
You will also need:
Paring knife
Food processor or blender
Refrigerator
Individual serving dishes
Instructions
Peel and seed the melon. Cut it into medium-sized pieces and put them into the food processor or blender. Add 1/2 cup plain yogurt, the orange juice, 1 Tablespoon lavender honey and the nutmeg. Process it until the mixture is puréed. Add the sea salt and mix to blend in. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
To make the topping, mix together 1/2 cup yogurt and 1 Tablespoon lavender honey. Refrigerate until ready to use.
To serve, remove the soup from the refrigerator and dish out into small individual serving bowls. Garnish with the yogurt mixture and fresh lavender.
Serves 4.
Note: If you don’t have access to lavender honey or fresh lavender, then use basil instead. In the soup and the topping, use plain honey and add 1 teaspoon of finely chopped fresh basil to each. Garnish with fresh basil.
