Cantaloupes are everywhere this summer and, while delicious by themselves, thay are also an unexpected healthy addition to classic desserts.

This homemade cantaloupe jam pairs great crepes. For a twist on traditional crepes, make several crepes at once and mount them into a cake with layers of the nutritious cantaloupe jam.

INGREDIENTS:

• Cantaloupe (1 full cantaloupe)
• Honey (drizzle)
• Flour (2 cups)
• Eggs (4)
• Milk (2 cups)
• Butter (1 tablespoon)
• Salt (one pinch)

ACCESSORIES:

One frying pan, one mixing bowl, one sauce pan, one spatula, one omelette turner, one hand blender.

MAKE IT:

STEPS		KID-FRIENDLY
1	Make the crepe dough: mix the flour, eggs, milk, butter and salt and let sit.	Mix the flour, eggs, milk, buttr and salt.
2	Heat a sauce pan with 2 tablespoons of water.
3	Cut the cantaloupe in 1 inch cubes (removing the rind).
4	Add the cantaloupe cubes to the sauce pan.	Add the cantaloupe cubes to the sauce pan.
5	Stir for 8 minutes on medium heat or until the cantaloupe softens.
6	Blend with hand blender for one minute.	Blend with hand blender for one minute.
7	Add a drizzle of honey and remove the cataloupe jam from the heat.	Add a drizzle of honey.
8	Heat the frying pan and grease the surface.
9	Pour the crepe dough to cover the entire surface of the frying pan with a very thin layer.
10	Wait 1-2 minute until the bottom is golden and flip the crepe with the omelette turner.	Flip the crepe.
11	Wait 1 minute or until the other side becomes golden and set aside on a plate.
12	Cover the entire surface of the cantaloupe jam.	Cover the entire surface of the cantaloupe jam.
13	Repeat, making 3 more crepes an layering them on top of each other with jam in between.
14	The cake is ready to serve!

Why cantaloupes are good for kids:

Cantaloupes are 90% water so they are a perfect sweet but refreshing snack to serve to your kids. With just one cup of cantaloupe, your children will get all of their daily needs of Vitamins A and C.

 When and where to find cantaloupes:

June to August is the best time to buy cantaloupes. Cantaloupes grown in hot and dry climates so, not surprisingly, California is a main producer in the United States. Most markets and grocery stores carry cantaloupes in the summer.

 How to choose the best cantaloupes:

Let the smell guide you. Pick up a beige looking cantaloupe (avoid ones that look too green) and hold it to your nose. You should get a sweet, slightly musky fragrance from a ripe cantaloupe. If your cantaloupe is not quite ripe yet, just let it sit at room temperature for a couple of days.

 Serving tip:

In France, it’s very common to serve cantaloupe with a thin slice of prosciutto for appetizer at a summer table.

Cantaloupe is also a great fruit to end the meal. Just cut slices of cantaloupe and eat the fruit as you would eat corn on the cob or run a knife just above the rind, diving the flesh into chunks for less messy results.

Just like watermelon, cantaloupe can serve as a bowl for a fruit salad. Carve the flesh and use a small ice cream scoop to form little balls. Add berries and you get a vibrant fruit salad.

The asparagus season is short so enjoy it now with this simple creamy asparagus quiche recipe with a touch of ricotta. It's perfect to bring on a picnic and pack in a lunch box. Kids will love making them and eating them.

INGREDIENTS:

• Asparagus (1 bunch)

• Eggs (3)

• Ricotta cheese (3 tablespoons)

• Grated parmesan (1 handful)

• Nutmeg (a pinch)

• Salt (a pinch)

• Pepper (a pinch)

Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and other popular grocery stores all carry great pie crusts if you want to make it really simple. If you are making the pie crust yourself, add:

• Flour (2 cups)

• Butter (⅔ cups, room temperature)

• Salt (a pinch)

• Water (5 tablespoons)

ACCESSORIES:

1 muffin pan, 1 mixing bowl, 1 paring knife, 1 grater, 1 pan and steam basket, 1 cutting board, 1 glass.

Optional: 1 blender, 1 rolling pin

MAKE IT:

STEPS		KID-FRIENDLY
1	Preheat oven to 420F.
2	Prep the asparagus: rinse thoroughly, discarding the ends and cut into 1/2 inch pieces.	Snap-off the ends of the asparagus.
3	Steam the asparagus for 7 minutes.
4	Optional: for picky eaters, blend the asparagus.
5	Make the pie crust:Mix 2 cups of flour with ⅔ cup softened butter, 5 tablespoons of water and a pinch of salt.	Mix the flour, butter, water and a pinch of salt.
6	Knead dough and strech it out with a rolling pin.	Use the rolling pan to stretch the dough.
7	Press a glass to the pie crust to make 8 little disks. Insert those into a greased muffin pan.	Press a glass to the pie crust to make 8 little disks. Insert those into a greased muffin pan.
8	Bake for 10 minutes.
9	While the pie shells bake, mix the asparagus with 2 tablespoons of ricotta cheese, 3 eggs, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.	Mix the asparagus, ricotta cheese, 3 eggs, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
10	Pour the mix into the pie shells.	Pour the mix into the pie shells.
11	Take the muffin pan out of the oven and pour the mixture in the pie shells.
12	Add a handful of grated parmesan cheese.	Add a handful of grated parmesan cheese.
13	Bake for 20 minutes.

Learn how to make ravioles featured in Tea Collection blog!

The raviole story and recipe is featured in the Tea Collection blog. Visit here and show your support by liking the recipe.

These fun little treats combine the crunchy texture of baked phyllo dough with the sweet smooth mango. A great heatly dessert to pack in the lunch box or serve to guests after dinner.

Ingredients: 

(makes 8-10)

• 1 mango

• 2 tablespoons honey

• ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract

• 4 sheets of phyllo dough

• 1 lemon

• 2 tablespoons of melted butter

Accessories:

Pan, Mixing bowl, baking sheet paring knife, food brush

Optional: kitchen scissors to cut the phyllo dough, lemon squeezer, kitchen twine

make it:

STEPS		KID-FRIENDLY
1	Preheat oven to 400F.
2	Peel the mango and cut it into small dice into a pan.
3	Add 1 tablespoon of honey, a splash of lemon juice and ½ a tablespoon of vanilla extract. Stir for 4-5 minutes.	Squeeze the lemon juice. Add the vanilla extract.Add honey.
4	Cut the phyllo sheets in 4, folder each quarter in 2, and brush the sheets with melted butter and 1 tablespoon of honey to give the rolls a nice sheen.	Brush the phyllo sheets with the butter and honey mixture.
5	Add a spoonful of the warm mango purée in the center of each sheet.	Add a spoonful of the warm mango purée in the center of each sheet.
6	Roll each phyllo sheet and pinch around the center, to make the rolls look like pieces of candy.​ If you have kitchen twine, you can cut a nice bow around the ends.	Roll each phyllo sheet and pinch around the center or tie a knot with kitchen twine to make the rolls look like pieces of candy.
7	Place on a baking sheet and into the oven for 5-7 minutes.

Enjoy!

Dress by Tea Collection. Tea Collection.