This summer, amid food recalls and warnings, it has been so clear how lucky we are to live in communities full of farmland and orchards. From hydroponically grown lettuce, to peaches picked and sold in the same morning, to local bakeries, we have had an incredible summer full of delicious local bites. 

I’ve roasted strawberries with a sprinkle of sugar for my kid’s Greek yogurt and granola bowls. For my breakfasts, I made a blueberry compote with a dash of vanilla, lemon zest, a splash of maple syrup, and some crushed cardamom. It felt like I was in a fancy cafe, splurging on breakfast, instead of just sitting at my kitchen counter. 

The best part about all this marvelous local fruit is that you don’t have to wait to serve it as something sweet. A fresh piece of fruit can go savory at a meal instead of waiting to be baked into something. From cooling melon soups to grain salads full of stone fruit and flowering herbs, I’m here to remind you to go savory sometimes. 

This recipe, a cantaloupe salad with pickled jalapenos and fresh herbs, is a perfect way to use up local melon and all the peppers that are in season right now. I love serving this salad as a side to a nice piece of salmon accompanied by a yogurt sauce. And the best part? It tastes even better the next day. 

For cutting up the melon I use a serrated knife. I keep a box of rubber gloves nearby to protect my fingers and eyes as I clean and slice the jalapeno. Before I start cleaning my melon, I fill a medium-sized bowl with cold water and plop the cilantro into it to prep it. The dirt just falls to the bottom of the bowl.

Cantaloupe Salad with Pickled Jalapeno 

Serves 4 as a side dish. 

Ingredients

One half of a cantaloupe or musk melon, peeled, seeded and cut into quarter-inch cubes

One half a cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into half-moons

One batch of pickled jalapenos (recipe to follow)

Juice of half a lime, or to taste

2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped (feel free to use the stems) 

Pickled Jalapeno

½ cup sugar (or maple syrup)

2 teaspoons salt

½ cup water

½ cup distilled white vinegar

1 jalapeno pepper, cut into ⅛-inch slices

Directions 

Combine the sugar, salt, water and vinegar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, whisking frequently until the sugar and salt are dissolved. 

Remove the saucepan from the heat, and add the jalapeno slices, pressing them down into the liquid. Cover tightly and let stand for 2 minutes, then stir to redistribute. Cover again and let stand at least 10 minutes more, or just set the saucepan aside.

The jalapenos can be made in advance; store them, and their liquid, in a glass jar in the refrigerator. You’ll find yourself putting them on everything. 

I recipe-tested this with maple syrup for someone who can’t eat sugar. I couldn’t tell the difference. 

Molly Parr lives in Florence with her husband and two young daughters. She’s been writing her food blog, Cheap Beets, since 2010. Send questions or comments to molly.parr@gmail.com.