I know. It’s been a long time. I have been going through a lull. I don’t want to cook anything new. It’s hot outside so turning on the oven is impractical. Telling you how to grill a hamburger is silly. But I had a dream that I made cantaloupe & prosciutto risotto and I couldn’t get it out of my mind.

It was fate. I had to cook again! This turned out to be surprisingly delicious, but a little heavy for a summer dish. In retrospect, I would also add more prosciutto to bump up the salt factor and swap out the vegetable broth for chicken. But overall, it was pretty amazing.

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit.

What you need –

• 1 onion, chopped finely
• 1/2 ripe cantaloupe, grated
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped
• 2 cups arborio rice
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 4 cups vegetable broth + 1 cup water
• 2 ounces prosciutto ripped into small pieces

You may be asking, how the hell do I grate a cantaloupe? I know. I wouldn’t want to either. So this recipe works best if you have a food processor and access to the right blade. Alternatively, if you don’t have a food processor, I recommend removing the seeds and rind from half a cantaloupe and blending it in batches. The end result doesn’t have any distinguishable pieces of cantaloupe in it so you won’t be missing much.

First thing first, as with all risottos, bring your broth (and in this case broth + water) in a medium size saucepan to a simmer.

Prep the onion, garlic and cantaloupe. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan and add the onion, cooking for two minutes. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds, then add the cantaloupe. Stir frequently until the liquid thickens up (takes two to three minutes). Add your arborio rice, stir and let soak in the goodness for about a minute. Add the wine, continuing to stir until absorbed.

Then add the broth by 1/2 cupfuls, stirring frequently until the broth has been absorbed. Do this until you’ve used up all the broth and the rice is tender. Remove from the heat and add your prosciutto. Let sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.