Savory Shaved Cantaloupe Salad

Servings: 8

Tip: For optimum flavor, pick a melon that is heavy and fragrant with stem ends that yield slightly when pressed.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium cantaloupe • Olive Obsession balsamic vinegar (optional)* • Olive Obsession olive oil* • Sea salt black Cyprus or any flakey sea salt (also available at Olive Obsession) • 2 Tbs chopped fresh mint, basil or tarragon • Mild pepper, such as freshly ground sarawak green peppercorns or Aleppo-style pepper • ¼ cup black olive slices (optional)

Preparation:

Carefully remove the rind from the cantaloupe in a very thin layer with a knife; remove and discard seeds. Cut in half and very thinly slice each piece crosswise on a mandolin or by hand (a vegetable peeler can be useful here) to make ribbons. Arrange cantaloupe on a platter and drizzle with oil. *Have fun with your olive oil/balsamic flavor combinations!

Some of us at Olive Obsession prefer to use a fruity and peppery single varietal olive oil with no balsamic, while others like basil olive oil with our mango, lemongrass mint or peach balsamic.

Top with tarragon, Aleppo-style pepper, and sea salt. Black Cyprus sea salt makes creates a beautiful presentation, but is any flake will do the job. If you choose to add the black olives be sure to reduce the amount of flake salt you add.