Who you callin’ canteloupe, you melonhead?
Okay, so it’s melon season around here. Melons, melons everywhere! And I ain’t just talkin’ ’bout the Real Housewives of Orange County reunion.
Melons everywhere also means there are melon vines taking over anything and everything within their reach (including our failed tomatillo plant). How cool and creepy are these little chokey finger thingies they send out?
Admittedly, this honeydew melon wasn’t from my garden – it was from my local farm market. I don’t know why I felt I needed to tell you that.
Honeydew just has the sweetest, smoothest, most mellow flavor and texture. I was almost shocked at how amazingly well it paired with the heat from the jalapeño. Some lime juice and toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) make this honeydew jalapeño salad one that’ll surely impress at your backyard BBQ. (It’s also good just to shove in your face while standing at the counter right after you make it. It’s up to you.)
- For the pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1 Tbs melted cooking fat (butter, coconut oil or ghee)
- 1/4 tsp. ancho chile powder (other kinds of chile powder work too)
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt (I use Redmond)
- For the melon
- 1/2 medium-sized honeydew melon, rind removed and chopped into half-inch chunks (equaling approximately 3 cups)
- 2 Tbs. minced or very finely chopped jalapeño pepper (remove seeds for less heat – I did!)
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, or to taste (if you don’t like cilantro, BE GONE WITH YOU)
- juice from 2 limes
- 1 tsp. salt (or more to taste)
- Preheat the oven to 400° F
- Combine melted cooking fat, ancho chile powder, and sea salt in a bowl.
- Toss pumpkin seeds in the mixture and toast for 3 minutes. Shake the pan to rotate the pumpkin seeds, then toast for another few minutes. Watch them carefully so they don’t burn like mine did!
- Set aside.
- Combine & mix together chopped melon, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice and salt.
- Top with pepitas and pepit-that in your mouth!
Enjoy!
3 Responses
Noooo! I am on the 21DSD! Why are you posting melon recipes, Liz? 🙂
Can’t wait to try this!! I’m actually going through a pumpkin seed stage right now (THAT & mashed carrots with Kerrygold, yuummmm).
Love your blog, all you do, and Good Food for Bad Cooks!!!
Thank you Serena! I love hearing from you! I too am a pumpkin seed lover…YUM!
We are making this today (minus the pumpkin seeds) with a canary mellon.