Looking for a way to mix things up in the cocktail department, I paired fruity shaved ice with cool sake to create a delicious, boozy granita. I used a cantaloupe because of its sweet and musky flavor and added a little fresh ginger and lime juice to jazz it up. More

This is a lovely, iced tea-colored sipper that refreshes perfectly, and wonderfully complements a smoky prosciutto on toast. It's drier than your standard Pimm's Cup, with just soda, ginger, and lemon slices instead of sweet sparkling lemonade, and wedges of heirloom cantaloupe instead of cucumbers (they're botanical cousins). More

Cantaloupes are a very low acid fruit, which means that typically they are not good candidates for canning. But in this conserve they are combined with juicy fresh peaches and a healthy dose of lemon juice, which ups the acid level enough so that they can be safely preserved. Simmering the conserve for over an hour really concentrates the fruit, resulting in a deep, pure melon flavor. More

The combination of ripe peaches and floral, sweet melon make for a perfect end-of-summer treat. Try this conserve over slices of pound cake or zucchini bread, or served alongside cornbread and grilled ribs. More

Hot, muggy days are made for gelato di melone. Ripe melons have a high sugar and water content as well as dense flesh, resulting in a creamy-textured gelato without the addition of eggs or milk. If you want that extra bit of dimension from a just bit of dairy, my trick is to add a small amount of yogurt; the acidity gives a pleasing, subtle tang to offset the natural sweetness of the melon. More

Note: This recipe is part of Kerry Saretsky's series The Secret Ingredient. This month's featured ingredient is rose water. Kerry also gives recipes that use rose water for Blackberries and Raspberries with Rose Sabayon and Rosey Rosé. I like to... More

As popular as it is, the classic combination of melon and Parma ham doesn't do so well as part of a cocktail spread. Depending on room temperature, the prosciutto can dry out or become limp and flabby. In Jason Denton... More