Grilled Lemongrass Pork Chops with Cantaloupe Slaw
This recipe highlights the funky, umami-packed fish sauce and spicy chili garlic paste that flavors both components of this dish in different levels, highlighting the flavors of Southeast Asian cuisine. The pork chop — inspired by the Vietnamese lemongrass pork chop — is marinated with some fish sauce, sugar and floral flavor of minced lemongrass. The cantaloupe salad is inspired by the flavors of a green papaya salad: bright with rice vinegar, savory with fish sauce and spicy from chili garlic paste. The pork chops are grilled until caramelized and just cooked through, and pair deliciously with the cantaloupe salad. Garnish with crunchy peanuts and fragrant Thai basil for extra hit of flavor.
Cantaloupe Gazpacho
This combination of melon and tomatoes makes a fruitier, more floral version of this classic warm weather soup. The vinegar, olive oil and cucumber notes made it feel like a gazpacho but in more original form. You can serve this with a great summer salad or grilled fish for lunch. You can also serve this with toasted bread rubbed with garlic and oil to give the soup a more savory lift and feel like a gazpacho where leftover bread or nuts would have been used to thicken the texture of the soup itself. This keeps in the fridge for a few days but does not freeze well. Stir in some ripe cherry tomatoes for added texture, if desired. Don't like corn nuts? Add some fresh cooked corn to the soup instead.
Salted Melon Margarita
This is the perfect summer drink. It is fruity, refreshing and takes just minutes to make.
