Chilled Melon Soup

I have always loved prosciutto - in a crusty sandwich with tomatoes and peppers and olives and cheese, wrapped around grissini or pork tenderloin, or sharing a plate with big green figs in Italy or canteloupe right here in Grassy Creek.

Also, I am always looking for different ways to present it. On a Celebrity cruise a few years ago, the prosciutto covered the plate and melon balls of varying colors paraded across in crisp formation, like disciplined aggies in a rigid game of marbles. Contrived but delicious.

Now in the good ol' summertime, consider a chilled soup as a refreshing way to begin a meal.

Cut a cold honeydew in half, remove the seeds (Duh!) and scoop all the flesh directly into a blender to puree. Add fresh lime juice and salt to taste and garnish with shredded prosciutto just before serving. (You could dry the prosciutto in a warm oven so it crumbles. And you could float some melon balls to bobble around on that cool pale green sea. Whatever.)