chilled catelope mint soup

Chilled cantelope mint soup, a piece of cold herbed salmon and a glass of Irurtia Gewürztraminer.

It's summer.

I mean,
it
is
summer.

Yesterday we got to +26 and today to +28. Blankets were spread out about the parc, dotting the grass close to the misty din of the fountain. Alice swam. I dipped my hot feet in the water and watched her paddle her little seal self. On the way home we stopped at the market where cantelopes were stacked into mountains with "3 pour 5$" signs on top. I bought just one thinking I'd never get through 3. But that one was so fragrant-sweet and perfectly textured, and the batch turned out just 2 bowls which I lapped up one after another, all the while thinking about going back in the morning for 3 more melons.

Chilled Cantelope Mint Soup
1 ripe cantelope
1/2 - 3/4 cup almond milk
1 heaping Tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1 lime, juiced
Fleur de sel to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon)
crème fraîche and more mint for garnish

Peel and seed the melon and cut it into 2-inch pieces. Place about 1/2 of these in the blender with the almond milk. Purée, adding the rest of the chunks as the volume decreases, then the mint, lime juice and salt to taste.
You can serve this immediately or chill overnight so the flavours have time to emerge and mingle. Top with a sprig of mint and a dollop of crème fraîche.