Prosciutto with melon is a classic Northern Italian dish, pairing earthy, melt-in-your-mouth, and mysteriously musty and sweet dry-cured ham with peak of the season melon. It's a dynamite combination and the perfect no-brainer appetizer. I'm just here to post this friendly reminder.
But if you really want to knock people off their socks, here's how you do it:
Choose a prosciutto from the Emilia-Romagna region, where the pigs are fed the whey (the protein rich run off) from Parmigiano-Reggiano production. Which, I mean, just sounds amazing, right? What you end up getting is flavor all the way down to the cellular level, plus a lovely example of how regional cuisine works at its most symbiotic.
Then, go on a melon tasting binge at your grocery or farmer's market. My current favorite are the Cavaillon melons from Weiser Family Farms at the Santa Monica farmer's market. These small, super sweet, cantaloupe-style melons are straight out of Yoshi Story. Delicious!
Yet another reason to love summer...
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