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County Faretasty fresh few things more quintes- sentially summer than an icy wedge of watermelon, with its green striated rind, crimson flesh and inky seeds just ready for spit- ting. (MCT) — There are & Savor the surprise when sweet meets spicy Cooking with a woodsy flair Until you grow up, that is, and your palate expands to appreciate the yin-yang, savory tang of mixing the sweetness of a perfectly ripe Galia, Tuscan, Cren- shaw or other melon with something salty, spicy or just plain mind-blowing. That's the appeal behind that Italian classic, pro- sciutto-wrapped melon, and the feta-watermelon salad that was so trendy a few years back. But they're not the only game in town, at least not after chefs and food writers such as Angelo Sosa and Mindy Fox get their hands on the magnificent con- cept. The results include a nouvelle appetizer, a monochromatic melon- pepper salad and platters of other intriguing combina- tions. MCT photo MCT photo Melons are a staple of summer, but you can add a bit of heat with some spice to compliment the cool melon. At top is cured watermelon crudo with thyme,Vietnamese shrimp with green melon is bottom and at right is green melon with cubanelle peppers and ricotta. Sosa, the two-time "Top Chef" competitor and author of the new "Flavor Exposed" (Kyle Books, $29.95, 208 pages), says the key is blending flavor trios. So when he works with melon, for example, he adds spicy and salty components to the sweet- ness of the fruit. Watermel- on is cut in precise cubes, sprinkled with kosher salt and placed in the refrigera- tor to chill and cure for 30 minutes, before Sosa adds fresh thyme, a drizzle of good quality olive oil and a few grinds of cracked black pepper. salad, from Sunset's new "Sunset Edible Garden Cookbook" (Oxmoor House, $24.95, 288 pages) — that use fish sauce as a flavoring ingredient, too. It provides the yin, the yang and the surprise. And that, both Fox and half the pepitas, half the oil and half the lime juice. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Drizzle with a little extra oil, if desired. • Mindy Fox, "Salads: Beyond the Bowl" (Kyle Books, $19.95, 176 pages) Sosa say, is key. A simple wedge of melon is lovely, but adding chilies, salt and savory components takes it to new heights. "It's exciting on your palate," Fox says, "and light and cool and crisp." Perfect for summer. The result, he says is an appetizer or palate cleanser that looks "pris- tine, almost like tuna sashimi," but with flavors blending into a harmo- nious sweet, salty and herbaceous whole. The cured watermelon crudo works equally well as an appetizer or a light finish to a sultry summer meal. Or, he says, "I would even add a little rum or vodka to make it a perfect cocktail." Fox, the food editor of La Cucina Italiana maga- zine, likes to play with those sweet and salty fla- vor combinations, too, but the visual appeal is just as important, she says. A design major who studied film and art in school, Fox brings an artistic sensibili- ty to the table, especially when it comes to the dish- es in her new cookbook, "Salads: Beyond the Bowl" (Kyle Books, $19.95, 176 pages). "The classic melon and prosciutto and the one that everyone started doing a few years ago — water- melon and feta," she says, "we're still playing to that same idea, the sweet melon and the salty. That's the base of all these salads." Fox adds spicy chilies to her version of the water- melon-feta classic and loves another version which combines honey- dew, Galia or any pale green melon with cubanelle peppers, herb leaves and a mild cheese with a definite salt pres- ence. "It's the monochromatic color palette," she says. "I was so excited about the beauty of the different greens. Green melon is such a gorgeous color, and cubanelle peppers or banana peppers can be slightly darker or lighter. It's such a beautiful palette, and I'm not venturing too far from that prosciutto and cantaloupe sense." You'll find that salty presence in dishes — such as the Vietnamese shrimp honeydew melon 2 small to medium cubanelle or banana pep- pers 1 basil leaves, torn ⁄4 pound ricotta salata cheese, thinly sliced Very good quality extra- 1 Flaky coarse sea salt 1 cup loosely packed Green Melon, Cubanelle Peppers and Ricotta Salata Serves 4 ⁄2 Cured Watermelon Crudo with Thyme Serves 4 2 cups watermelon, cut in pristine 1-inch cubes 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves ground black pepper 1. Put the watermelon on a sheet pan and sprinkle it with the salt. Place it in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes. 3 tablespoons olive oil ⁄4 1 teaspoon freshly 2 tablespoons Viet- namese fish sauce (nuoc mam) ⁄2 1 cashews Superior Planks of Minnesota provides locally- sourced wood for cooking. of water to a boil Add shrimp and cook just until they turn opaque and curl up, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. 2. Toss shrimp, herbs, onion, chili and lemon together in a large bowl. Mix together the lime juice, sugar and fish sauce, then pour over salad. Toss salad gently, then top with cashews. cup roasted, salted 1. Bring a medium pot • "Sunset Edible Garden Cookbook" (Oxmoor House, $24.95, 288 pages) 2. Remove the water- melon from the fridge, add the thyme, olive oil and pepper and toss very gently to combine. Serve immedi- ately. virgin olive oil for driz- zling • Angelo Sosa, "Flavors Exposed" (Kyle Books, $29.95, 208 pages) 1. Seed and peel the melon half. Cut in half lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise on the diag- onal. 2. Trim and seed the peppers. Thinly slice into rings. 3. On a large platter, arrange a layer of slightly overlapping melon slices. Generously season with salt. Add layers of peppers, basil and cheese. Crush several pinches of salt over the salad, then drizzle gen- erously with oil. Serve immediately. • Mindy Fox, "Salads: Beyond the Bowl" (Kyle Books, $19.95, 176 pages) Watermelon Salad with Feta, Fresh Herbs and Two Chiles Serves 4-6 watermelon cheese1 into small pieces 1 cup cilantro leaves ⁄3 4-pound piece seedless 1 cup crumbled feta ⁄2 cup mint leaves, torn 1 fresh Scotch bonnet or similar hot chili, seeded and very thinly sliced Ground Aleppo pepper or piment d'Espelette Flaky coarse sea salt 1 virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling 1 lime 1 cup roasted pepitas⁄3 ⁄2 cup very good extra- 1. Peel the watermelon. Cut the fruit into small pieces, about 1/4-inch wide. Salad Spicy Summer Melon Serves 6 as an appetizer 6 cups mixed melon, cut into chunks cup) 11 ⁄4 teaspoon salt 20 fresh basil leaves and 20 mint leaves, roughly cup peanut oil 1 teaspoon fish sauce ⁄2 1 torn1 ⁄2 chopped cup unsalted peanuts, 1. Chill the melon chunks until they're really cold. teaspoons Sriracha 8049 Hwy 99E, Los Molinos, CA NO CARDS REQUIRED FOR EVERYDAY LOW PRICING OR SALE ITEMS BLACK CANYON ANGUS BEEF WE FEATURE New York Steaks Boneless, Beef Juice of 4 limes (1/4 1 ⁄2 Asparagus $599 Large lb. Sirloin Roasts Boneless Pork We appreciate your business - and we show it! HOURS: 7AM - 9 PM DAILY Prices good July 11 - July 17, 2012 "Your Family Supermarket" Meat Specials Fresh Split Fryer Breasts Strawberries 1lb. clamshells $189 Sweet lb. $149 lb. Large Slicing Tomatoes Chuck (Not to exceed 15% fat) Extra Lean Ground Boneless Country Style Beef Ribs $299 lb. Produce Specials Seedless Pureheart Watermelons $299 lb. Lettuce Cello Head 2. Squeeze the lime juice into a small mixing bowl. Whisk in the Sriracha. Add the peanut oil slowly, whisking con- stantly until it's completely blended. Whisk in the fish sauce and salt. Toss in the basil and mint leaves and mix everything together. 3. Just before you're ready to serve, take the melon out of the fridge and pile it in a big serving bowl. Pour the dressing over the melon and mix it with your hands. Scatter with peanuts and serve. • Andrew Carmellini, "American Flavor" (Ecco, $34.99, 324 pages) Vietnamese Shrimp and Green Melon Salad Serves 6 2. In a large shallow serving bowl, layer half the melon, sprinkle with half the feta and half the cilantro, mint and fresh chili. Season with a gener- ous sprinkle of Aleppo pepper and crush several generous pinches of salt over the top. Sprinkle with 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined 11 packed basil, mint and cilantro ⁄2 1 sliced juice cups each loosely 1⁄4 cup slivered red onion ⁄2 serrano chili, thinly 3 cups honeydew or Galia melon wedges 3 tablespoons fresh lime 1 tablespoon sugar $399 +crv $1099 +crv $649 Find us on Facebook! facebook.com/nuwaymarket +crv (MCT) — You don't have to leave the North Woods behind when you cook with Superior Planks. The wooden boards of red oak, sugar maple and cedar are harvested and processed on Madeline Island, one of the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior, a short ferry ride from Bayfield, Wis. In as green a way as possible, the logs are cut and hauled by simple horsepower — two Belgian shire horses — before they are dried and finished for use on the outdoor grill or in the kitchen oven, where they impart a fragrant woodsy flavor into your food. The oak and maple are good for five or more uses; the softer cedar will last for about three meals. 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