Day 7 Salad 7 - Berry-Melon Salad With Lemon-Thyme Syrup

That's right folks- it's a fruit salad tonight. The thyme syrup adds an interesting flavor with the fruit. Something to make you say "hmmmmm." I wasn't sure how I felt about the syrup on it's own, but it really went well with the fruit, especially the melon. The blue cheese crumbles were a last minute addition (which is why they are not pictured) that really put it over the top. But I am on a blue-cheese kick at the moment.



INGREDIENTS

Thyme Syrup
1 cup sugar
1⁄4 cup water
Peel and juice from 1 lemon
4 large sprigs fresh thyme, preferably lemon thyme

Salad
3 cups each diced cantaloupe and honeydew melon
1 pint blueberries
1/2 pint strawberries quartered
mild blue cheese crumbles


PREPARATION
1. Lemon-Thyme Syrup: Bring all ingredients to a gentle boil in a small saucepan; simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat; let steep 20 minutes. Discard thyme sprigs and lemon peel. Cool syrup to room temperature or store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

2. Salad: Just before serving, gently toss together fruit in a serving bowl; add 1⁄3 cup of the thyme syrup and toss. Spoon into dessert bowls or glasses and garnish with blue cheese crumbles. Serve with extra thyme syrup, if desired.

Then for fun, I made myself a cocktail with some of the leftover syrup.

Lemon-Thyme Rita on the rocks:

ice-cubes
shot of tequila
1/4 c Lemon-Thyme Syrup
1/2 c lemonade

It was just lovely.

This salad recipe was adapted from http://www.womansday.com/Recipes/Blueberry-Melon-Salad-With-Thyme-Syrup-Recipe