There's More to Life Than Eating Cantaloupe, Horatio

Oh, what a jewel you'll find in this week's box!  The first cantaloupes of the year.  And, trust me, this bears little resemblance to what you'll find in a supermarket.  Texture, taste, color, sweetness... it's a completely different animal.  Er, fruit.

So eat it.  Immediately.  Greedily.  As-is, although I would recommend not eating the peel.  Then, once you're done, go and get another one from the store.  Yes, while eating them straight is my preferred approach, there are more things you can do with cantaloupe.

Photo via Epicurious

A classic appetizer this time of year is sliced cantaloupe wrapped in prosciutto. Get a good prosciutto, because what makes this work is the salty/sweet contrast.  There are a number of salads based on this pairing, too.

Photo via Foodess

The sweet/spicy contrast works great with cantaloupe, too.  Diced into a salsa (as simple as onion, tomatoes, your favorite chilies and lime juice), it's excellent over grilled chicken.  It goes great with salmon or shrimp as well.

Enjoy.  As unlikely as it sounds, cantaloupes are one of the true gems of the season.

Photo via Steamy Kitchen