Cantaloupe offers a tasty way to chill out

With the end of summer, we can finally properly enjoy a late dinner on the patio. Well, maybe with a wet towel around the neck, three fans and a kiddie pool filled with ice water for feet-dipping.

Yes, it's still hot, which is why I'm giving you a recipe for one of my favorite frozen concoctions. Cantaloupes are plentiful right now, and going for about $2.50. Lots of people walk right past them because they don't know how to pick a ripe one. If you watch customers at the melon crate, you'll see each one has a different method for checking ripeness. I've seen people knock, shake, roll and put their ear to a cantaloupe. I've even seen a person pass her fingers over the surface of the rough skin, as if reading cantaloupe braille. Silly stuff.

There are only two reliable methods that I know of for checking cantaloupe and both involve nose and thumb.

Pick up a melon. Smell it. It should smell like sweet, musky ripe melon. Then use your thumb to push the belly button of the melon (side opposite of the stem). If it gives just a bit, it should be good.

I created this recipe for Cantaloupe Mango and Basil Sorbet as a refreshing way to enjoy the end of summer. It's great as a sorbet and even better if the sorbet is scooped into a tall glass and filled with champagne or sparkling wine.

Find more of Jaden Hair's culinary adventures at www.steamykitchen.com.

CANTALOUPE MANGO AND BASIL SORBET

If you are using an ice cream maker, make sure that the insert is properly frozen. If you don't have an ice cream maker, see the directions below for making the sorbet with freezer bags. You can also substitute cantaloupe with honeydew, or the fresh basil with fresh mint.

1 small ripe cantaloupe, peeled and seeded, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/2 cup mango nectar or juice

1/4 cup sugar - more if needed

1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

Generous pinch of salt

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until the melon is pureed. Taste and add additional sugar if desired (depends sweetness of cantaloupe or mango juice) and blend again to dissolve the sugars. Chill the mixture until cold.

If using an ice cream maker, follow manufacturer's instructions to make the sorbet.

If you are not using an ice cream maker, get two 1-gallon-size freezer bags and put one inside of the other. Pour the mixture into inner bag, seal well, squeezing all air out of the bag. Seal the outer bag. Place in the freezer. Every 30 minutes, massage, shake and rock the bag to mix the ingredients, breaking up the chunks. Repeat until it is a frozen consistency throughout.