Melon Salad with Lime and Aleppo Red Pepper

Wow. This was a surprise. Lewis and I were taste testing these melons after I made the photograph below. Very, very sweet, especially the bright orange Ambrosia melon. I’ve only made fruit salad a few times, back when I realized the kids would eat more fruit if it was cut into snacking-size pieces. I’m more of a veggie person, except when the peaches are at their peak. So I popped on to the net to get some inspiration for a melon salad and found a few recipes touting the Mexican spice mixture tajin. Since my pantry is tajin-less and I am not a fan of dehydrated onion or garlic (unless it’s on an everything bagel), I decided to wing it and just add lime, dried hot pepper, salt, and cilantro. Please get some Aleppo dried red pepper for this. It’s more subtle sweetness compared to other dried red peppers is my favorite and has become the one I turn to for all of my recipes.

The balance of citrus, herb, and heat with the tingly salt set off the melon so perfectly. If company is coming, make adorable melon balls. If not, just cut the melons into cubes. Watermelon is very popular for this recipe, so add some if you have one on hand. Any melon will do.

 

What to do with the leftover bits? Freeze on a parchment-lined baking sheet, bag up, and place in the freezer for future juices, smoothies, and slushies.

I’m in a feverish tomato eating frenzy, heightened by the knowledge that it will soon be over for this year. I’ll now be adding melon to the frenzy.

Sheila