Cooking with melons

At the start of the summer, Philibon melons are the best. Charentais melons, which are very fragrant and sweet, come a close second. These are orange in colour and shouldn't be confused with honeydew melons, which are long with green skin and yellow-pale green flesh, or Galia melons, which have yellow skin and white-pale yellow flesh.

> How to choose a ripe melon
A ripe melon should weigh quite a lot and feel like it's full. It should be firm but not hard and should give slightly to pressure. It should smell good (but it's not enough to just rely on the smell).

> Melon goes well with:
Herbs: tarragon, basil and mint.
Spices: Malabar pepper (white), Cubeb pepper, vanilla, ginger and star anise.
Dairy products: mozzarella, ricotta, feta, fresh goat's cheese and almond milk ice-cream.
Dried and cooked meat: Parma ham, San Daniele ham, other raw/dry/smoked hams and smoked duck breast.
Alcohol: fortified wine like port; sweet and white wines. 

> Recipes
Melon and mozzarella salad
Melon and ham bites
Strawberry and melon gratin