Rockmelon & Gorgonzola Salad w/ Red Onion
Most of our homegrown rockmelons get eaten in one go, spooned directly out of their shell. If you want to do something a little fancier and turn your homegrown rockmelons into a proper dish, this salad is the ideal solution! Although I’ve called it a ‘salad’ I’m not sure the term is entirely appropriate. It’s more of a mezze dish - something you could serve along side crusty buttered bread, salty olives, marinated artichokes and other nibbles. Best eaten on a warm, still and very lazy autumnal afternoon.
Rockmelon & Gorgonzola Salad w/ Red Onion
Serves 4 as starter or side
Ingredients
1 rockmelon, sliced into wedges (or, if you prefer, bite-sized chunks)
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
200g gorgonzola cheese
A few handfuls of basil
1 red chilli thinly sliced
1 tsp honey
For the lemon-infused dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
Peel from 1 lemon
8 garlic cloves finely sliced
Method
First, make the lemon-infused dressing. Put the olive oil, lemon peel and garlic cloves in a small frying pan.
Fry for 5-10 minutes until the garlic has taken on a light gold colour and the lemon is very fragrant. Let sit to infuse for 5 minutes.
While the oil is infusing, lay the pieces of rockmelon on a large platter, scatter with the sliced onion, basil, gorgonzola and chilli.
Just before serving, dress everything with the lemon and garlic infused oil, plus the fried garlic and lemon pieces.
Finally, drizzle the honey on top, add cracked pepper and serve.
