A timeless combination of sweet and savoury, the classic French pairing of Charentais melon and ham is reimagined by Alexandra Stacey in this fresh, elegant summer salad from her new book, ‘Salads for all Seasons’
IMAGE: OLA SMIT
Fragrant sweet melons are eaten every single day throughout the summer in France. When you arrive at the market, you will smell the heady perfume of ripe melons even before you see them stacked up on wooden trestle tables. With a rugged pale-green skin and peach-coloured flesh, these are the French summer fruit par excellence, and they are almost always served with paper-thin slices of cured ham for a perfectly uplifting hit of sweet and savoury.
Charentais Melon, Cured Ham, Feta, Summer Leaves, Olives, Pistachios, and Dill
Ingredients
- 1 large Charentais melon
- 70 g (2 1/2oz) mixed summer leaves (such as mizuna, rocket/arugula, or green and red mustard frills)
- 100 g (3 1/2oz) feta, crumbled
- pinch of dried herbes de Provence
- 70 g (2 1/2oz) San Daniele ham
- 16 pitted green olives
- 1 tbsp pistachios, chopped
- 1 quantity Honey, Dijon Mustard, and Balsamic Vinegar Dressing (see note)
- 2 tbsp chopped dill
Instructions
- Cut the melon in half and scoop out all the seeds. Slice into 8 slices, then carefully remove the melon skin.
- Place the summer leaves in a large shallow bowl and arrange the melon slices on top. Add the crumbled feta, herbes de Provence, sliced ham, olives, and chopped pistachios. Slowly drizzle the dressing over the salad, sprinkle the dill over, and serve immediately.
Notes
Extracted from Salads for all Seasons by Alexandra Stacey, published by DK, RRP £22, photography by Ola Smit
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