Saratoga's Famous Melon and Proscuitto

Connor O'Malley marries Sinead Brennan-Cavanaugh by proxy, forcing him to leave a peaceful Irish horse farm for the turbulent streets of New York during the Civil War Draft riots.

"A fantastic (summer) read...5 Roses," --LoveRomances.com

Saratoga's Famous Melon and Proscuitto

Ingredients:

1/2 large cantaloupe sliced into wedges, rind removed
1/4 to 1/2 pound imported proscuitto, sliced paper thin
Assorted baby lettuces
Berry Syrup, (recipe follows)

Directions

Layout on the edge of a plate, 3 or 4 baby lettuce leaves. Over the lettuce lay out 2 thin wedges of cantaloupe and drape 2 to 3 slices of proscuitto over the melon. Garnish with berry syrup.

Berry Syrup:

1 quart berries, you should use the freshest berries you can find, we prefer to use
raspberries or blackberries

1/2 to 1 cup red wine, a cabernet sauvignon will work fine here

Sugar

Arrowroot

Cold water

Combine the berries and the red wine in a non-reactive saucepan and bring to a simmer. Let cook for about twenty minutes and adjust the flavor with sugar if necessary to achieve a balanced flavor. Combine some arrowroot with a little cold water and stir into the sauce to give it a nice shine and a little body. Let cool.