A good recipe for summer fruits before they're gone

Sadly summer’s wonderful crops are waning and these wonderful fresh flavors will soon not be available.

Right now melons are at their height of freshness and flavor, and our local Rocky Hock area is famous for their cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelons. I just had the best watermelon I have ever tasted, and it was delivered to me right out of the field and still warm from the afternoon sun. My friend Linda Perez, or Miss Boo as she is fondly called by many, is so thoughtful to bring me local produce.

Melons must really develop their flavor in the hot sun of the field to reach their full sweetness and should never be picked early to ripen in a truck or in a grocery warehouse. A ripe watermelon has a yellow underbelly, great heaviness and a hollow thump when tapped.

A ripe cantaloupe will detach from its stem on its own, so it should have a clean depression where its stem was attached, and a beige webbing pattern with just the right level of firmness with a sweet floral scent. A ripe honeydew melon should be a creamy yellow rather than green and be smooth and firm with a sweet aroma and a hollow thump.

When these sweet, juicy melons are in season I look for different uses for the fruit besides just a chin-dripping wedge to enjoy. A nice change of pace is a chilled piquant melon soup, or a syrupy glaze for barbecued meats from reducing the fruit. A fun treat is a frothy smoothie, granita or frosé.

I also like a sweet yet savory melon salad, and I had a request for the recipe which I shared in the past. This week I have included my recipe for Melon Prosciutto Salad. Its seasonal flavors include juicy tomatoes from the vine, ripe figs off the tree and sweet basil from the garden.

For a contrast to the melon, I add a salty bite of prosciutto-both soft, and baked crispy and crunchy salted pistachio meats. To balance the textures and flavors I add creamy fresh mozzarella, crisp arugula and cucumber and a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette.

Enjoy!

If you have a cooking question, contact me at cher.orr@gmail.com and I’d be happy to assist!

Melon Prosciutto SaladServes 6

INGREDIENTS

• ½ pound prosciutto

• 2 cups cantaloupe, large diced

• 2 cups honeydew, large diced

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1 cup cucumber, large diced

• 1 cup fresh figs, quartered

• 1 cup fresh basil leaves

• ½ pound fresh mozzarella, torn into bit-size pieces

• ¼ cup salted pistachio meats

• 4 cups arugula

Balsamic Vinaigrette

INGREDIENTS

• ¼ cup Dijon mustard

• 1 shallot, finely minced

• ½ cup balsamic vinegar

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 1 ½ cup olive or canola oil

• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

PREPARATION

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Tear half of the prosciutto into small pieces and place evenly on parchment paper lined pan. Bake 8-10 minutes until crisp.

• Meanwhile prepare vinaigrette. Whisk together Dijon, shallot, vinegar, and honey. Slowly drizzle oil into mixture while whisking to emulsify. Season with salt, pepper, and additional honey to taste. Set aside.

• On a large platter toss arugula with vinaigrette. Arrange melons, tomatoes, cucumbers, figs, soft prosciutto, and mozzarella on top of greens. Drizzle with additional dressing. Top with pistachio, basil, and crispy prosciutto.