Salted Melon Salad With Jalapenos and Feta

As eager as I am for all things fall (hello pumpkins, football, pots of chili and cool enough weather for a sweatshirt); I’m not rushing away summer just yet. I saw a funny post that said, ‘summer is here for another four weeks so back off with your pumpkin spice lattes’. I chuckled a little and although I’m not sure I totally agree, the bounty of summer produce is just too good to move on from just yet.

I attempted to grow cantaloupe and watermelon in my garden this year but alas, my tender little vines didn’t make it. However the pumpkins are as happy as can be and I have no less than 20 giant orange pumpkins ripening in this late summer heat. Ironic, when I said I wasn’t ready for summer to fade away.

But back to the cantaloupe, it is by far my favorite melon variety (I recognize I’m likely in the minority on that opinion) and a ripe cantaloupe is genuinely one of my favorite things in the world, especially sliced up and refrigerated so its ice cold. My mother used to sprinkle a bit of salt on hers and when I was a kid I couldn’t fathom eating something so heinous to now, today, I could eat an entire melon sprinkled in salt, savoring every delicious sweet and salty bite.

I’ve shared a couple different versions of a watermelon salad in the past, which I still love, but this cantaloupe recipe is just special. I wish I could take credit for its lovely combination of sweet, salty, savory and spicy, but my eye caught the recipe in a tiny corner of a Food and Wine magazine from years ago. I immediately ripped the recipe from the magazine and set about making my own version.

This is one of those recipes where quality of ingredients really matters. The melon salad becomes exponentially better when you find a perfectly ripe cantaloupe. The shallot and jalapeño are the perfect savory and spicy note to the sweetness of the melon and the brightness of the lemon juice and freshness of the basil ties everything together in the very best way. I do think you could swap the cantaloupe for watermelon if you really wanted to, but I say give the recipe a shot as called for before making a decision. Of course, you could skip the jalapeño if spice isn’t your thing or just use half the jalapeño if you want it to be less spicy.

Cheers to the final days of summer, hope you find a warm sunny patio to enjoy your melon salad; cold nights and warm dinners are on the way sooner than we think.

Salted Melon Salad with Jalapeños and Feta

• 1 shallot, thinly sliced

• 1 jalapeño, seeded and thinly sliced

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

• 1 large-ish size cantaloupe, rind and seeds removed, cut into 1-inch cubes

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

• 5-6 basil leaves, thinly sliced

Start by thinly slicing the shallot and seeding and slicing the jalapeño. Place in a small bowl and juice the lemon over the vegetables. Let sit for about 10 to 15 minutes while you prepare the rest of the salad, allowing the shallot and jalapeño to slightly pickle.

Cut the rind off the cantaloupe and scoop out the seeds. Slice into cubes and place in a large shallow bowl. Scatter the shallot and jalapeño along with the lemon juice over the cantaloupe. Drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Gently turn the cantaloupe with a spoon so the salad is well-combined and coated with lemon juice and olive oil.

Crumble the feta cheese over the cantaloupe mixture and garnish with thinly sliced basil leaves. Serve and enjoy!