Melons Stuffed with Fruits and Vegetables

3 sm Melons;cantaloupe is a good

-choice --------------------------------FOR STUFFING-------------------------------- 1/3 c Oil

2 c Carrots; thinly sliced

2 tb Raisins; seedless

1 ts -Salt

1/2 ts -Pepper

1 c Green apple; chopped

1 c Green onion; chopped

-green part only 1/2 c Lemon rind; grated

3 c Rice; cooked

--------------------------------FOR TOPPING-------------------------------- 1 tb Oil

2 tb Pine nuts

Cut each melon in half and remove and discard the seeds. Scoop out the fruit and reserve. Heat 1/2 cup oil in large skillet. Add the carrots and raisins. Saute together until the carrots are soft. Add the salt, pepper, apple, green onion and lemon rind. Continue cooking until the apples are soft. Remove from heat and cool. Preheat oven to 325F. Combined the sauteed mixture with cooked rice and stuff the melons. Chop up two cups of the reserved melon & arrange on top of the stuffing. Place the stuffed melons in a baking dish and bake for 20 minutes. Heat 1 Tbsp of oil in a small pan and brown the pine nuts, being careful not to let them burn. Sprinkle on top of baked melons and serve. SERVES: 6 SOURCE: _The Yemenite Cookbook_ by Zion Levi and Hani Agabria