Melon, tomato and ham salad
We ate this remarkable dish on the Ile de Ré off the coast of southern Brittany, so it’s not necessarily local. But the orange-fleshed melons grow abundantly around Nice, and the large tomatoes are easy to find on the market. It’s the combination of sweetness, saltiness and garlic that make this salad a winner.
Ingredients
1 large orange-fleshed melon, nice and ripe
4-5 “beefsteak” tomatoes, pefectly ripe and red
Some thin slices cured ham such as jambon de Bayonne or Parma ham
1-2 cloves garlic depending on size and personal tolerance!
Balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt
Method
De-seed the melon, cut it into thin wedges and peel off the skin. Thinly slice the tomatoes. Place all the slices decoratively on a large flat dish with the ham in between slices of fruit.
Make a dressing of the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and crushed garlic. Use about 2tbsp oil to 1tbsp of vinegar, and salt to taste. Spoon the dressing over the fruit and ham display around half an hour before serving.
Note: I have omitted any mustard from the dressing because it doesn’t mix well with tomatoes.