Honeydew, Scallop & Bacon Salad

The craving: A quick meal. Spare moments are as rare a good apricot around here. Has to be something cool and light. The air is heavy enough with heat, I don't need a lead weight in my belly to feel satisfied. But something substantial enough that I'm not starving in the heat an hour later.

The solution: Greens, ubiquitous as they are, need a bit of fun. Dill fronds for some flavor and an edible rose petal or two because I've just thumbed through Claudia Roden's rose petal preserve recipe. Not enough petals for jam but plenty for salad in a frivolous (and optional) way. Thick-cut smoky bacon (as much as you'd like) still sizzling from the pan add substance. As do a few sea scallops sauteed in the bacon drippings. The shellfish is just as sweet and tender as the cubes of honeydew, heady and sweet with summer ripeness. No salt. No acid. Just a built-in vinaigrette from the warm bacon fat and cool, sweet honeydew juice.

Comments

[L]

Very interesting and beautiful.

[dani]

Those scallops look wonderful! Who would have thought to make this combo!

[Kalyn]

How did I miss this one! Love scallops. My very favorite shellfish.