ANG POMPANO: One of the earliest lessons I learned was, "Don't play with your food." But when I heard about grilling watermelon, I had to give it a shot. I had no recipe, no clue how it was supposed to be done—as a habitual griller, that just made it more tempting. I'd been waiting all summer to try, yet every time we brought one home, my family devoured it before I could get near the grill. Then one day I spotted a perfect honeydew in the fridge and though, close enough. This was my chance to play. (Sorry, Ma!) I figured the internet was full of recipes, but where’s the fun in that? I wanted to see if I could create my own. So, I played around with grilling honeydew and came up with a method that actually worked.
What you’ll need for this simple recipe:
Melon (or any other fruit you’d like to experiment with. I plan to try watermelon or peaches next.)
Olive oil
Mixed greens
Dressing of choice
First, I peeled the melon and cut it into roughly one-inch chunks so they wouldn’t fall through the grill grates. The next time I'll probably try slices and cut them up after grilling.
Then I coated them with olive oil because, let’s be honest, EVOO makes everything taste better.
I fired up the grill, put the chunks on with the heat on high and the lid open… and tasted a piece. Just regular honeydew.
Next, I closed the lid and let the temperature climb to 350°F, which seemed like a safe bet. After a few minutes, I tried another piece. Sweeter, yes, but still not worth the effort.
Then I noticed the searing section on the grill and decided to give it one last shot. Four minutes later, I opened the lid. Success!
The honeydew chunks tasted like candy. Too good to eat on their own, I tossed them into a salad with a simple olive oil dressing. Annette and I had a lunch worth breaking the rules for.
You can follow my method or look up a recipe yourself. I’m sure there are plenty of tips I could have used, but it wouldn’t have been half as fun as playing around until I got it right.
What about you? Have you ever grilled fruit? Or made up a recipe from scratch? I’d love to hear about it. Let me know in the comments, and you’ll be in a drawing for a free e-book of Blood Ties and Deadly Lies. Don't forget to leave your e-mail address.
Ang Pompano is a mystery author, editor, publisher and blogger. He writes the Blue Palmetto Detective Agency, and the Reluctant Food Columnist series, both published by Level Best Books. In addition to his writing, Ang is a co-founder of Crime Spell Books and serves as co-editor of the Best New England Crime Stories anthology. He blogs about food on Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, Annette, an artist, and their two rescue dogs.
When It’s Time for Leaving by Ang Pompano
Al DeLucia walked away from the police—and his past. But when his long-lost father leaves him a detective agency in Savannah, Al finds himself trapped between family secrets and a murder on the agency’s dock. Partnered with Maxine Brophy, a fierce detective who doesn’t trust him, Al is pulled into a deadly search through Savannah and the Okefenokee Swamp—where the truth about the case, and his father, may cost him everything.
Blood Ties and Deadly Lies by Ang Pompano
Al DeLucia returns to Sachem Creek expecting a kayak race and a chance to confront his childhood bully, Abe Cromwell. Instead, he finds a dead lawyer, a web of deceit, and Abe claiming they’re brothers by DNA. Reluctantly joined by Maxine Brophy, his formidable partner and girlfriend, Al dives into a murder investigation that exposes land swindles, hidden maps, and buried family secrets. In a town where the past won’t stay buried, Al must face truths that could upend everything.
Comming soon: The Reluctant Food Columnist series
Book 1—Diet of Death
Book 2 —Simmering Secrets
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