Sweet melon with salty crudo

This recipe was first published in the June edition of Cibus magazine.

Combining melon with prosciutto crudo is an all-time favorite so I thought to arrange a farro salad, now that farro is also available to prepare in 10 minutes.

Farro salad with melon and prosciutto crudo

Ingredients for 4 persons:

• 300gr farro (or barley)
• 400gr melon
• 200gr prosciutto crudo, in 2 slices
• 100gr local dry white cheeselet (can be substituted for hard goat’s cheese)
• 3 tblsp olive oil
• 2 tblsp lemon juice
• Basil leaves
• Salt & pepper

Cook the farro according to the packet instructions. Drain, put under running cold water and leave to cool.

Scoop the pulp out of the melon and cut into cubes. Put the melon shell overturned in a colander to drain its juices. Keep aside to serve the salad into it, if you wish.

Cut the prosciutto crudo and cheeselet into cubes and finely chop the basil leaves. Add these ingredients and the melon cubes to the cold farro and season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, beat together the extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice with a fork and mix delicately to the salad. You can serve the farro salad in the melon shell.

Suggest that you add the melon cubes few minutes before serving as the melon loses a lot of water and it can affect the consistency of your salad.