Summer fruit spotlight: CANTALOUPE!

What's a rockmelon? (australia)

What's a sanspek? (south africa) 
It's known to many of us as a cantaloupe of course!!


No matter what you call these orange orbs they're great for your health. In season in North America June through August, Cantaloupe is an excellent source of Vit. A & beta-carotene (fat-soluble vitamins)--Once inside the body, beta-carotene can be converted into vitamin A, so when you eat cantaloupe it's like getting both these beneficial nutrients at once. One cup of cantaloupe is just 56 calories, but provides 103.2% of the daily value for vitamin A. Beta-carotene has also been the subject of extensive research in relationship to cancer prevention and prevention of oxygen-based damage to cells.


Cantaloupe has large amounts of Vit. C--vitamin C is critical for good immune function. Vitamin C stimulates white cells to fight infection, directly kills many bacteria and viruses, and regenerates Vitamin E after it has been inactivated by disarming free radicals.

Cantaloupe is a good source of potassium and a good source of vitamin B6, dietary fiber, folate, and niacin (vitamin B3). The combination of all these B complex vitamins along with the fiber found in cantaloupe make it an exceptionally good fruit for supporting energy production through good carbohydrate metabolism and blood sugar stability. These B complex vitamins are required in our cells for processing carbohydrates (including sugars), and cantaloupe's fiber helps ensure cantaloupe's sugars are delivered into the bloodstream gradually, keeping blood sugar on an even keel. 


In addition, the cantaloupe extract oxykine is rich in superoxide dismutase (SOD), and studies have concluded that cantaloupe SOD extract promotes cellular antioxidant activity and protects against oxidative stress-induced cell death. 


I prefer mine raw/whole but here are a few recipes:
Cantaloupe Salsa from SmittenKitchen

Cantaloupe Salsa
Adapted from Gourmet
Makes about 2 cups of salsa
This would be great over grilled fish or chicken, not that ours ever got that far. It is equally good with tortilla chips.
It occured to me after the fact that this would be fun with a mix of honeydew and cantaloupe, for color and a bigger range of flavors.

2 cups diced (1/4 inch) cantaloupe (from a 2 1/4-lb piece)
1/4 cup diced (1/4 inch) sweet onion (such as Vidalia) or red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or cilantro
1 (2-inch-long) fresh hot red or green chile (skip the seeds if you want to dim the heat), minced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
Mix everything and eat immediately.
Cantaloupe Popsicle

INGREDIENTS

• 1 small cantaloupe
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon finely slivered fresh mint leaves
• 1/4-1/3 cup lemon juice, depending on the sweetness of the melon