I fell in love with this simple, stunning Melone e Limone (Melon and Lemon) appetizer at our friends’ wedding recently. The peeps behind the awesome SCOPA restaurant here in Healdsburg, CA, had cut fragrant, peak-of-season melone (that's Italian for melon) into tiny (perfect) cubes, tossed them with lemon juice and served them mini skewers with a sprinkle of sea salt as an hors d'oeuvre. I’ve made several more rustic versions since; this is my favorite. It also makes me smile because my daughter, Noemi, still mixes up the words ‘lemon’ and ‘melon’ … so this easy side dish spares her the riddle. So, pick up some fresh melone, and enjoy!
1 large melon (any variety as long as it’s super fresh and ripe–the one pictured here is Gaia), peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch chunks (should have 6-8 cups)
1 lemon, juiced
Coarse sea salt (my choice is Maldon)
pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
Toss melon with lemon juice and spoon into bowls. Sprinkle sparingly with salt and cayenne.
Serves 4