3 summery ways with sweet melon

Serrano ham and melon salad

Soak 1 thinly sliced fennel bulb in cold water for 30 minutes. Cut 1⁄2 ripe sweet melon in half, peel and slice very thinly. Toss 2–3 gem lettuces, shredded lengthways, and the drained fennel with 2 T olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground pink peppercorns, to taste. Turn onto 2 large plates. Add 70 g thinly sliced Serrano ham, the melon slices, 150 g fresh torn mozzarella and 150 g grated Parmesan. Drizzle with the juice of 1 lime. Serves 2

Melon lollies

Blend 400 g ripe watermelon with 1⁄2 cup low-fat Bulgarian yoghurt and pour into ice-lolly moulds. Place in the freezer. Repeat the process with 400 g sweet melon and 1⁄2 cup low- fat Bulgarian yoghurt. When ready to serve, brie y run the moulds under hot water to loosen the lollies. Dunk in 100s and 1000s before serving. Serves 4

Cook’s note: Add a little honey to the melon-and-yoghurt mixture if you’d prefer the lollies a little sweeter.

Tempura prawn, avocado and melon salad

Arrange 2 peeled, stoned and halved ripe avocados on a large platter. Using a melon baller, make melon balls of 200 g watermelon and 200 g sweet melon. Fill the avocado halves with melon balls and scatter over 100 g halved baby yellow tomatoes. To make the tempura prawns, combine 140 g our, 65 g corn our and sea salt to taste. Gradually add 11⁄2 cups ice-cold water to make a batter that coats the back of a spoon. Heat 2 cups canola oil in a small saucepan over a high heat. Coat 16 shelled and deveined prawns in the batter and carefully drop into the hot oil. Fry for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until pale golden. Remove using a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Place the prawns on top of the melon balls. Combine 4 T olive oil, 2 T lemon juice, 2 t sh sauce, 1 t brown sugar and 1 T soya sauce, and drizzle over the salad. Serves 4

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