Watermelon - It May No Longer Be Summer But...

It’s October and the leaves should be turning, with cool breezes reminding us to get sweaters out from storage.  Instead it’s 80 degrees and muggy here.  Some are anxious for fall, but I’m enjoying this reminder of summer.  I had already planned to do a watermelon post this week, so the weather is a nice coincidence.

We ate more watermelon than usual when a high school student from the Mississippi Delta stayed with us this summer.  In an effort to make her feel at home, I asked what foods she liked.  Shyly, she responded that watermelon is one of her favorite desserts - when I brought one home, she smiled broadly.  As we munched on slices, she talked about planting seeds leftover from watermelons her family ate and tending the vines as the melons grew.  

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Brown Butter Spiced Plum Hand Tarts

September got away from me.  I turned around and the month was practically gone.  If I was going to do this month’s Baketogether, it had to be today.  No time for multiple drafts or lingering over how exactly to vary the recipe - this was going to be “real time” bake-and-blog, with almost simultaneous posting of the results.  At the end, we’ll know how it turns out.  But for now, I’ve got one batch of my tarts in the oven and another just about to go in. 

In Baketogether, we take Abby Dodge’s “master recipe” and vary it however we want, sharing our recipe and technique modifications in blogposts posted during the month for a particular recipe.  For September 2012, Abby posted Brown Butter Apple Hand Tarts, to celebrate her newest book, Mini Treats & Handheld Sweets ~100 Delicious Desserts to Pick Up and Eat! 

 

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Ricotta Panna Cotta with Peach Sauce

There is no better combination in summer than peaches and cream, at least to my taste.  I’m happy with yogurt and fresh peaches, but truth be told, prefer something sweeter.  I love fruit cobblers and enjoy pies, but think they tend to overwhelm the delicate flavor of peaches.  

That’s where matters stood when Abby Dodge put up the “master” recipe for the August Baketogether, Ricotta Panna Cotta with Raspberry “Brezza Fresca.”  In no time at all, I translated her inspiration into Homemade Ricotta Panna Cotta with Slightly Fizzy Peach Sauce.  

My guests devoured this dessert and, though I am not normally a big fan of non-chocolate puddings or similar sweets, even sophisticated ones, this panna cotta won my heart.  It was light, refreshing, and slightly sweet – the perfect end to a summer dinner of grilled fish and vegetables, rice, and salad. 

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