Spicy Melon And Cucumber Salad

It’s melon season, people! They are everywhere, from your local farmer’s markets and grocery store to restaurant menus that highlight seasonal produce. Melons are great summertime snacks, as they are replete with nutrients and rich in water. In fact, snacking on melons is an excellent way to aid your hydration efforts during the summer, a time when dehydration is very common.

For this recipe, we colored outside the lines, thought outside the proverbial box, if you will. While this recipe is hot in regards to temperature, we do turn up the heat with a Thai chile pepper. You’ve been warned! There is no single “Thai pepper;” rather, there are at least 79 species of pepper that appeared from three species in Thailand. Generally speaking, Thai peppers are smaller, skinnier, and have quite a kick. They range from 50,000 to 100,000 Scoville Heat Units, which is much hotter than your average jalapeño, which ranges from 2,500 to 8,000 Scoville Heat Units. Needless to say, be cautious if you are sensitive to heat.

Fortunately, you don’t have to eat the Thai pepper all by itself. You have the sweetness of the melons and cucumber to calm the spice and create a more pleasurable eating experience. This recipe calls for both cantaloupe and honeydew, but you can use one or the other if you don’t have both. Lastly, make sure to remove the seeds from the pepper to avoid intense heat.