BRIGHT & REFRESHING CANTALOUPE SALAD WITH CHAMPAGNE VINEGAR, BASIL, & ALEPPO PEPPER

I tend to like almost EVERY kind of food out there, but ONE food that I have never particularly warmed to is cantaloupe. So, I never really buy it, or order it, or eat it if it’s included in my meal. Then last week, I saw the most perfectly round, ripe, and beautiful cantaloupe at the store and decided to buy it on a whim. When I went to slice it I knew that I would have to dress it up in some way to make it more exciting, so I worked with what I had on hand and came up with this salad… I have now had it FOUR times in just over a week, along with five other friends who have made it at home and loved it. It REALLY is a winner. The tangy champagne vinegar, herbaceous basil, and mildly spicy Aleppo pepper flakes take this cantaloupe to new levels. It is incredibly hard to stop eating. If you want to change up your BBQ side dish this is a great place to start!

*A quick note: Aleppo pepper is a milder chili flake that is commonly used in Middle Eastern cuisine. I bought mine online and honestly, 9 times out of 10, find myself using it over traditional chili flake. It is SO SO SO good. The fact that you can use more in a recipe than chile flake enhances the pepper’s flavor without blowing out your tastebuds. And it lasts a long time. You will not regret having this as a staple in your house I promise.

You will need:
1 medium size cantaloupe (thinly sliced)
1 handful of fresh basil (torn in to large pieces)
1/3 cup of champagne vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
juice of 1 lime
drizzle of good olive oil
a generous sprinkle of salt
a sprinkle or two of Aleppo pepper flakes (classic chili flake works too, but beware that it is more spicy so you may want to use less).

In a large bowl combine all of your ingredients. Toss well. The more you stir it around the more chance the fruit has to be exposed to the delicious vinegar and spice. Taste and enjoy. Adding salt if needed. This salad gets better with time so you can make it ahead of time and store in the fridge until ready to serve!