Honeydew melon balls served with an orange-strawberry sauce.

Honeydew-Berry Dessert

1/2 cup strawberry jam
1/2 cup orange juice
1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel - divided use
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
1 cup sliced strawberries
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
4 cups honeydew balls

1. In a small saucepan combine strawberry jam, orange juice, 1/2 teaspoon orange peel and cinnamon.
2. In a small bowl combine cornstarch and water; add to the strawberry jam mixture. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently; reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture is smooth and thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in sliced strawberries and almond extract. Cool.
3. Divide honeydew balls into serving bowls; divide the sauce evenly over the fruit and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon orange peel. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Note: Melons, squash, and cucumbers -- all of which ripen while lying on the ground - can be exposed to salmonella and e. coli bacteria. As a precaution, they should be washed with soap and hot water, then rinsed before proceeding with any recipe. This applies even if you are only using the flesh of the melon (or squash or cucumber); the mere act of cutting through the rind is enough to bring harmful bacteria in contact with the flesh.