Apex of Summer Salad

As we are at something of an apex moment out here on the farm, and today has been hot, with more to come tomorrow. I picked up one of the smallest cantaloupes, a red onion, and a hot wax pepper. 

Harvested tomatoes rest in the cool of our corn milling shed, so I stepped in there and picked up a handful of cherry tomatoes. 

Walking along the edge of the garden, I snagged a branch each of lemon verbena, and chocolate mint. I then hauled everything into the kitchen, where I added an ear of already roasted and cooled sweet corn, which I sliced from the ear, making sure to then scrape the cob for every little bit of that sweet corn goodness.

I cut an inch or two off of one end of the cantaloupe, peeled and seeded it, and threw it into a mixing bowl. 

Slicing the pepper into rounds, and the onion into strips, they too landed in that bowl. Then quartered cherry tomatoes, and sliced up the herbs. Everything now in the bowl, I added a bit of white balsamic, a drizzle of sesame oil, and a good amount of quality salt. Toss, toss, add a generous grating of a dry cheese, I used pecorino Romano tonight because I like the darker flavors of a well aged cheese, but Parm, mimolette, even an aged goat cheese, will all work, as will no cheese at all. 

I happened to have milk bread toast from Phlour, and it was delightful, but I am sure whatever bread, crackers, even croutons, you have, will work fine. 

The real joy of this salad is that it is making a wonderful liquid at the bottom of the bowl, as the cantaloupe and tomato release juice in response to the salt and acid. This is one salad where you might want to finish up with a spoon, or as is common in my house, drink it straight from the bowl.