As summer is getting into full swing in many places, here's a simple recipe to help you cool off. (Apologies to citizens of the Southern Hemisphere for my Northern Hemisphere centrism.)

This recipe is more commonly done with mint, but this is a Japanese twist using shiso. Shiso, also called "ooba", which means "big leaf", is used a lot in Japanese cooking, mostly as an herb to throw on top of a dish or as a garnish. It has a minty flavour, though not as strong as mint, with a hint of anise. Any recipe you can do with mint, you can also pretty much do with shiso.

Ingredients

• 1/8 of a watermelon
• 4 shiso leaves, finely minced
• 1 tsp honey
• pepper

Method

• Cut the watermelon into cubes and remove all the seeds. It makes it easier if you cut along the "seed lines".
• Put watermelon, shiso and honey into a blender.
• Blend until smooth.

• Chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator.
• Top off with some more freshly sliced shiso and cracked black pepper.

That's it! Cool! Now relax and chill...