Tomato Melon Soup

Do you know the moment where you open a really ready squash or melon, where the pungency of this dark cave freshly opened, suddenly unconcentrated, where that hits you? Where you feel like you may gag because you are so struck in the nose by the fecund aroma, you're not sure whether to run and puke or sniff deeper to feel the scent open down your throat?
I just had that moment.

A really ripe melon mixed with some sautéed tomato and red onion, give you a different kind of umami, one you might think you'd find at a whorehouse. I think I originally made a recipe from Jean Georges that was quite similar.. This soup will depend entirely on the quality of your ingredients and their ripeness, so be sure you choose really fragrant ingredients at the farm stand or market.




Tomato Melon Soup
This soup can be served warm or cold. I prefer it cold. This soup sometimes ends up tasting, not unpleasantly, like lipstick. Once puréed, give it a taste Thin it with water, more lime juice and salt to season as desired. When you are making a dish that will be cold, season it at the end of cooking, however don't be surprised if you need to season it more once it has chilled. Cold things always need much louder flavors than hot food.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 red onion, diced in 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 pint lovely ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 small ripe pungent melon, seeded, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
3 leaves lemon basil, shredded
juice 1/2 lime
salt to taste

Heat a medium sautee pan over medium heat, add olive oil and butter. Once butter begins to sizzle, add red onion. Sautee until onions are transluscent. Add tomatoes, cook until they begin to give up their juice, add cantalope, cook 2 minutes more. Transfer to a blender, add in shredded lemon basil, puree until smooth. Blend in salt and lime juice to taste.