Summer Breakfast: Prosciutto e Melone

I'm from a small town on the beach called Forte dei Marmi. My grandmother loves it when I visit because she gets to feed me three meals a day and she gets to spoil me as much as she wants. I obviously don't complain...

She knows that I don't particularly like sweet things for breakfast so she treats me to a few slices of fresh Melon (Cantaloupe or however you want to call it) and Prosciutto. Mmmmh.

My favorite kind of Prosciutto is the one from Parma (di Parma). If you live in the U.S., a quarter pound is more then enough for two people and it won't empty your wallet. In grams based countries I suggest 100 grams (un etto, as we say in italian). There are other kind of Prosciutto: Toscano, for example, is saltier and less tender. Try a few of them and decide which one is your favorite.
Remember that the closer it gets to the end the sweeter it is. When at a deli they start a new one thinking they are doing me a favor it makes me want to cry...

To pick the perfect Melon there are a few tricks: some people tap the fruit and listen to the sound it makes. If it makes a dull sound it means it's juicy, if it "sounds empty" it means it's not..!
I like to smell the end of the melon, where the "stem" was. I consider that a "preview" of what the melon is going to taste like and that method never failed me! If it gives away no smell at all, step away and buy something else.

Although it is a very simple recipe, getting it just right it's hard because it depends on nature and not on your culinary skills. So start smelling all the melons at the store! eheheh!

Enjoy!
Valentina
Real Italian Kitchen