No Sugar added Melon Sorbet with Lime Basil and Fresh Black Pepper
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Today I read a facebook post that said something to this effect.
“What would it be like if you woke up only to things today that you remembered to be thankful for yesterday?”
I want to always be thankful for good food. When I say “good” I mean fresh, whole, natural, pure. Like this melon I bought at the Woodbine Farmer’s Market. It had a huge bruise on the side it was sitting on. I knew the guy couldn’t sell it at this full price so I pointed out the bruise and asked how much. He smiled and said $1 and this big ugly melon that I was thankful for came home with me. Only I wasn’t thankful enough to eat it and it went forgotten until Wednesday.
I cannot stand to throw away food. Not because people are starving, but because it is a direct reflection of my food stewardship. It took a lot of time, water, energy, love to grow that melon and it should have its purpose. It is such an attitude as this that keeps the farmer’s market alive and encourages the farmers to bring as much as they grow to market, even when the food isn’t perfect. Good food is not supposed to be uniform or perfect because it is grown, not manufactured. So what does one do with imperfect produce? Melon is a particular challenge for it’s not suitable for jam, jelly, or pie.
What would Alice Waters do?
Alice Waters of Chez Panisse became famous, making simple fresh, local, good food delicious, taking particular care not to alter its nature, but only to embellish. She has changed the face of food worldwide, by encouraging the least fuss using the very best food she can find. If there were part of that melon that was good, she would find a way to use it.
In quite the fashion of Alice Waters, I didn’t want to do anymore than necessary and I only wanted the true melon flavor to jump out. So often store bought melons are bland, picked before their time, and people don’t know what a good melon is supposed to taste like.
This melon was so flavorful, juicy, sweet, it didn’t need any sugar. You could smell its goodness. In keeping with the rules of play, I only added my own ground pepper, but infused the sorbet with lime basil, which I had purchased at a different farmer’s market and is now growing freely in my garden. I purposely chose not to add a single other ingredient. No sugar. No alcohol. This would have to rely on nature’s pure taste. And, this was a good decision, as it is the most flavorful melon sorbet I ever ate. In the above picture, it looks icy, as I let the machine run too long. If you take it out earlier, it’s smoother as below.
What I like most about this experience is that I had the chance to take something simple and keep it simple. As I did this I realized a good life does not have to be complicated. Good things are just good. It’s always a heart issue. Another person might have seen the melon and tossed it all away, only focusing on it’s bruise. But, I saw the good in that melon and knew that this flaw could be overlooked, cut away and the pure, delicious fruit of the melon could be enjoyed.
Tell me do you waste food and then feel bad about it?
No Sugar added Melon Sorbet with Lime Basil and Fresh Black Pepper
Ingredients
- 1 ripe melon cut up, skinned, seeded
- handful Lime basil or try some freshly squeezed citrus of choice
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place cut up melon in food processor and process at high until you have pureed.
- Press through a sieve to remove pulp. Add in about 8 leaves of lime basil (or squeeze some fresh lime). Allow basil to sit in juice and refrigerate for several hours.
- Remove basil and process in ice cream maker according to directions.
- Serve with fresh lime basil and fresh ground black pepper.
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