The Great Salad Caper

This month's Crazy Ingredient Challenge was an easy one for me to come up with something yummy to make. I heard the ingredients were capers and cantaloupe and for some reason I immediately thought of a watermelon and feta cheese salad. I knew I could do something similar with my fresh melon and salty capers and I also knew from eating watermelon and feta salad that my dish would be great.

So thanks to Dawn from Spatulas on Parade for helping me come up with a great new dish, my Cucumber and Cantaloupe Salad with Crispy Capers. I would never have thought of it without this month's Crazy Ingredient Challenge. 

Cucumber and Cantaloupe Salad with Crispy Capers - serves 4 

1 cantaloupe, ripe 

1 cucumber

1/2 cup of feta cheese, cubed or crumbled

3 tablespoons of capers, rinsed

2 tablespoons oil, divided

1/2 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon lemon juice 

Salt, to taste 

1. Start by heating 1 tablespoon of the oil in a small pan at medium heat. Once hot, add the capers and cook until crispy, about 5-8 minutes. Let dry on a paper towel lined plate and dust with a bit extra salt.

2. While the capers are cooking, cube your melon in equal sized cubes. Also, cut your cantaloupe in half and use a veggie peeler to peel long, thin slices. Rotate your cucumber as you peel it so you end up with just the seedy middle when you are done. 

3. Next, whisk together your dressing. Add the remaining tablespoon oil, honey, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt to a large bowl and whisk. 

4. Add the melon, cucumber, and feta to the bowl with the dressing and toss to combine. Serve and top with crispy capers. 

I loved these crispy capers so much that my next recipe will feature them too. For a hint, it's a dish that also involves smoked salmon. Your going to want to come back and see it in a few days!

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