Are you a cantaloupe fan?
Cantaloupe has amazing health benefits including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory support. One cup provides 100 percent of the daily recommended allowance of Vitamin A.
The best time to buy cantaloupe is when its in-season. In Dallas, that means June – August. Toward the end of August, it can often be found on sale.
Our new neighborhood Trader Joe’s is selling the Tuscan cantaloupe, an Italian variety, for $2.99 each. Sprout’s is currently advertising large (non-organic) cantaloupes at $0.99 each (through 8-14) and large organic melons at $2.99 each (through 8-21).
Here are a few tips on picking a sweet, dripping-down-your-chin melon.
See: Inspect the outside. The skin should be tan-colored and free of dents and bruises.
Feel: The melon should feel solid and heavy with no soft spots. Heaviness means ripeness.
Smell: Sniff the bottom spot where the stem was once attached. It should smell like cantaloupe. Unripe cantaloupes have no smell.
Taste: Some grocery stores and farmer’s markets offer samples (especially on the weekend). If so, don’t pass up a free taste test.
The following is a great summer salad recipe, a modern take on everyone’s favorite Caprese Salad.
Cantaloupe Salad
1 medium cantaloupe cut into small cubes
10-12 basil leaves, chiffonaded
1 cup fresh mozzarella cut into small pieces
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
olive oil
red wine vinegar
juice from one lime
sea salt
pepper
Directions: Toss cantaloupe, basil, cheese and onion in a bowl. Drizzle vinegar, a long pour of olive oil, and lime juice over fruit. Stir. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper to taste. Let stand in refrigerator thirty minutes before serving. Serves 4-6.
Enjoy!
