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ROUND AND RIPE
There are few foods that scream summer louder than a ripe cantaloupe. Too often a backup singer in sad fruit salads, cantaloupe should be revered for its supple, honey-sweet flesh and its nutritional benefits, which include hefty amounts of vitamins C and A. Cantaloupe lovers, take note: Halifax, Virginia (a two-hour drive from Richmond), is home to a yearly cantaloupe festival that has celebrated the muskmelon for 42 summers and counting.
BUYING AND COOKING
When shopping for cantaloupe, follow your nose: Ripe melons will have an unmistakable perfume. Cantaloupe should be golden in color with ridged skin. The stem end of the melon should give ever so slightly when pushed. Underripe cantaloupe can stay out on the counter for a few days to ripen. Once it’s ripe, pop it in the fridge. While you’re well within your rights to halve a fresh cantaloupe, scoop out the seeds and go to town, also consider pairing it with salty prosciutto to recreate the classic Italian antipasto prosciutto e melone.
AROUND RVA
Good Life Juice: The Jackson Ward shop creates a sweet and slightly spiced elixir dubbed Maca-Reigna by combining cantaloupe, banana and ginger with coconut milk and spices.
Isley Brewing Co.: Seven Melons harnesses the sweetness of cantaloupe (and its fellow melons) in this hazy IPA boasting a fruity aroma and 8.5% ABV.
L’Opossum: Cantaloupe stars in the meal-ending Composition of Seasonal Fruit. The melon joins plums and finger limes in a refreshing sake broth.
Michele Humlan (Photo courtesy The Good Eats Co.)
LOCAL FLAVOR
“While cantaloupe is a fruit, it becomes a welcome part of a savory meal when paired with grilled meats, seafood or plant protein,” says Michele Humlan, chef and founder of The Good Eats Company, which offers personal chef services. Humlan suggests joining cantaloupe with tomatoes, Thai basil and macadamia nuts for an unexpected flavor combination.
RECIPE
Cantaloupe Salad With Lime, Jalapeno and Sumac
By Stephanie Ganz
1 tablespoon lime zest
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups sliced cantaloupe
1/4 cup sliced red onion
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon sumac
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
Flaky sea salt
In a small bowl, whisk together lime zest, lime juice and honey. Continue to whisk while drizzling in olive oil. Set aside.
Arrange cantaloupe, red onion and jalapeno on a serving dish. Drizzle with lime dressing and top with sumac, cilantro, mint and a pinch of flaky sea salt.
