If you’ve been reading my blog a long while this combination won’t surprise you. I starting eating one form or another of cantaloupe tomato salad back in 2011. For those of you who might be new readers, hear me out.
I know it sounds like a strange combination, but I promise it is so good! There is something about the sweetness of both the melon and the tomatoes that is delicious when combined and then drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with black pepper. It’s a refreshing twist to most of the summer salads you’ve had so far this year.
You can use any type of tomatoes you’d like. I think sweet heirlooms or cherry and grape varieties are the best. Mr. Stripey’s pair really well with cantaloupe. I decided to use the star of this year’s garden — the Chocolate Sprinkles tomato. It’s a hybrid cherry tomato that ripens to a brownish-green-red color, some with visible striping. The fruit is super sweet and it was the perfect addition to this salad.
I used a melon baller to scoop out the melon this time, but feel free to simply chop it up.
As for the olive oil, choose a strong peppery variety. I think cantaloupe tastes the best when sprinkled with black pepper. I’ve added that to the recipe, but a spicy olive oil only makes it better. Oh, and the smoked sea salt isn’t essential. You can use whatever type of salt you have on hand, just season it to taste. I will say that if you have smoked salt, though, definitely use it because it adds a delicious depth of flavor with the sweet and peppery characteristics of the salad.
Cantaloupe Tomato Salad
Makes: 4 servings
What you’ll need:
3 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 of a small cantaloupe, scooped into balls or chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon smoked sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons freshly grated or shredded Parmesan cheese
How to make it:
Stir together the tomatoes and cantaloupe in a medium bowl.
In a small dish, stir together the olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the fruit and toss to coat. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.
Refrigerate 15 to 30 minutes before serving.
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