Fruit

grilled melon with tahini, chili oil + sesame seeds

The dense flesh of melon allows it to take some heat on the grill without falling apart. Even the moisture-rich watermelon can take a good sear—just make sure that your grill (or frying pan, if not grilling) is ripping hot. You want to sear the fruit quickly before the flesh of the melon is cooked through.

Salt and melon are a classic combination—prosciutto-wrapped melon for example. Cream and melon are just as classic. This recipe draws on each of those combinations for something new. Most of my summer dinners are a smattering of simple small plates that come together well. I would pair this dish with some grilled fish, a tomatomozzarella salad and something green, maybe arugula with lemon and some garlic bread crumbs. Or I’d just eat it on its own and be pretty happy, too. Black sesame seeds are a bit hard to find, but make this dish extra easy on the eyes.

½ cup tahini

1 muskmelon (2 pounds), rind removed and cut into 2-inch-wide wedges olive oil

¼ cup chili oil (see note below) salt

2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

1. In a small bowl, whisk the tahini with a couple tablespoons of hot water until smooth, light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

2. Drizzle the melon with olive oil.

3. On a hot grill, sear the flat side of the melon until charred, about 2 minutes. Flip and sear the other side. Remove the melon to a serving platter.

4. To serve, spoon the whipped tahini all over the melon, drizzle with the chili oil, sprinkle with salt, and scatter the sesame seeds all over.

To make chili oil: In a small saucepan, toast 1 teaspoon chili flakes over high heat until fragrant and starting to darken, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat, add ½ cup neutral oil, and let steep for a minimum of 10 minutes.

melon, cucumber + chickpea salad

This is one of the rare times that I find it worth it to scoop melon into balls. The visual of the spherical melon, round cucumber and little chickpea BBs is top-notch. The only downside is that it makes the salad a little hard to eat, especially for young ones at the table, so be warned.

2 pounds English-style cucumbers, tipped and tailed (cutting off the top and bottom)

2-pound melon, any variety, scooped into balls or cut into chunks

2 cups chickpeas, cooked (or one 15-ounce can)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

¾ cup buttermilk

1 cup fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro, mint, dill, hyssop, etc.), leaves picked from stems and roughly chopped

½ cup slivered almonds, toasted

Olive oil

1. Using a wide knife, whack the cucumber with the side of the blade to smash the cucumber into irregular chunks.

2. On a serving platter, lay out two-thirds of the cucumber, two-thirds of the melon, and scatter two-thirds of the chickpeas evenly over the top. Season the whole platter with salt and black pepper and drizzle the buttermilk liberally all over. Sprinkle two-thirds of the herbs and almonds over that. Repeat with the last of the cucumbers, melon and chickpeas. Season with salt and black pepper again. Finish with the last of the herbs and almonds, then drizzle with olive oil and serve.

Pulp: A Practical Guide to Cooking with Fruit, by Abra Berens, © 2023. Published by Chronicle Books.

Photographs © EE Berger.