sugar kiss melon margarita

happy July 1!

here’s the thing: if you happen across a small unassumingly variety of melon at the market labeled ‘sugar kiss’ or ‘summer kiss’ you must buy it. And if you’ve never been a fan of cantaloupe or honey dew… don’t be perturbed.

Sugar kiss is the sweetest, juiciest, best version of cantaloupe summer has to offer…. and summer kiss is the honey dew equivalent. It’s nothing like the pale, dry, flavorless stuff that ends up at the bottom of the picked-over fruit salad. It’s a completely different species.

It’s delicious in all the usual fixings: sliced and draped with thinly shaved prosciutto, cubed and added to a watermelon-feta salad, or, most simply, eaten alone with lemons squeezed over top and a healthy pinch of flaky salt. There’s no better snack in the entire world.

but it’s also special as a base for a cocktail. vodka-based coolers with mint and cucumber, prosecco-based spritzers with a splash of lillet blanc or cocchi americano, or in today’s case… a tequila-based good ole margarita!

what you need

• 2 oz melon juice (directions below)

• 2 oz tequila (I love La Gritona)

• 3/4 oz cointreau

• 1/2 oz lime juice (about 1/2 lime)

what you do

for the melon juice

Halve and seed one sugar kiss melon, then scoop all the flesh and any accumulated juices into a blender. Blend on high for two minutes, then strain through a fine mesh sieve lined with a cheese cloth. You should end up with about 2 cups of very sweet, very delicious bright orange melon juice. Store in a jar and refrigerate until ready to serve.

for the cocktail (make 1 large drink)

In a stainless steel shaker, add the melon juice, tequila, cointreau, and lime juice. Fill with ice and shake until very cold, at least 20 seconds. Strain into a rocks glass over ice with a lime wedge.

These were gone in a matter of minutes and I was left wishing I had purchased more than just one sugar kiss at the store…

in other news- how’s the summer reading list treating you? I’m about halfway through blood, bones, & butter and loving it so far. Her writing is incredible, and I’m just about through her first 2 decades in the food industry before she opens up Prune. What a story.

enjoy the holiday weekend!

xx,

Maddy