Prosciutto with melon is a classic Northern Italian dish, pairing earthy, melt-in-your-mouth, and mysteriously musty and sweet dry-cured ham with peak of the season melon. It’s a dynamite combination and the perfect no-brainer appetizer. I’m just here to post this friendly reminder.

But if you really want to knock people off their socks, here’s how you do it:

Choose a prosciutto from the Emilia-Romagna region, where the pigs are fed the whey (the protein rich run off) from Parmigiano-Reggiano production. Which, I mean, just sounds amazing, right? What you end up getting is flavor all the way down to the cellular level, plus a lovely example of how regional cuisine works at its most symbiotic.

Then, go on a melon tasting binge at your grocery or farmer’s market. My current favorite are the Cavaillon melons from Weiser Family Farmsat the Santa Monica farmer’s market. These small, super sweet, cantaloupe-style melons are straight out of Yoshi Story. Delicious!

Yet another reason to love summer…