I started the “No-Cook Recipes” column on my blog a couple years ago after a friend of mine told me that she wanted a place to look for more no-cook meals. I’d made a bunch of them during the summer so I rounded them all up and put them in a column.

Since then, I’ve fallen off the bandwagon. I still make no-cook meals but they’re not the kind that I want to blog about. Usually they involve eating a large scoop of peanut butter straight off the spoon. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, but it’s not necessarily blog worthy.

So I was happy a couple days ago when I improvised this cantaloupe salad for lunch. It is one of the easiest things you can make. I’d argue that it’s almost like not making anything, except you are.

As always, it’s important to have the best ingredients. When you’re making something simple and the focus is on the fruits and vegetables, you want the freshest produce possible. I bought a melon, a pint of blackberries, and some fresh basil at Tower Grove Farmers’ Market on Saturday.

It was my first time buying a melon at the farmers’ market so I was excited. I shied away from buying one before because I was scared to cut it open, but I shouldn’t have worried. It’s easier than it looks to cut a melon in half. All you need is a large, sharp knife, a firm surface, and a steady grip. Also, keep your fingers far away from the knife, but that kind of goes without saying.

I used a melon scooper to make balls of cantaloupe and then I toss them with blackberries, torn basil, and balls of mozzarella cheese. I drizzled a little olive oil on top and squeezed lemon juice on at the last minute. The result was nothing short of heavenly. The cantaloupe was fresh, sweet, and juicy, the blackberries added some tartness, the basil was fragrant, and the mozzarella added some salt.

I’m going to have this salad on rotation as long as there are fresh melons at the farmers’ market. I think it would also taste good with feta cheese. I’ll experiment with that soon.

In the meantime, I’ll leave you with this song. I have mixed feelings about it because truth be told, I can’t stand Taylor Swift. Then I heard this song on the radio and I…*liked* it? It’s a strange thing to admit.

Cantaloupe, Blackberry, Basil Salad

Ingredients

1 medium-sized melon (cantaloupe is preferable)
1 cup mozzarella balls
1 handful of basil leaves, torn
1 cup fresh blackberries
juice of one lemon
olive oil for dressing

Directions

Cut a melon in half. Scoop out the seeds and then use a melon scooper to make the insides into balls.

Toss the melon balls with the mozzarella, basil, and blackberries. Drizzle with olive oil and squeeze lemon juice on top before serving. Toss gently before serving. Enjoy!