Cool off with this great addition to any taco, nacho, or southwest salad! Move over watermelon salsa because there is a new melon in town. Go ahead and give this Cantaloupe Cucumber Lime Salsa and try and fall deeply in love.
Well today was an epic baking experiment FAIL. What can I say??? You win some and you lose some. Honestly, I think the saying should be “you win some and you lose more than you can even count.”
I really had high hopes for today’s creation. I was saving a zucchini in the fridge to make a loaf of lemon zucchini bread. My vision was this lovely sweet and robust, lemony quick bread with little speckles of shredded green zucchini, topped with a tangy lemon almond glaze. Doesn’t that just sound fabulous??? If it doesn’t, pretend that it does.
Anyway, I made my test muffin and it rose beautifully. I wasn’t in the mood to actually taste the mini muffin, but since it looked so pretty I assumed that the flavor and texture was spot on. So I poured the remaining batter into a loaf pan and baked away.
That bread looked like heaven. It rose to the perfect height and created ideal little cracks along the surface of the bread. I was silently praising myself for what a genius I was, and was anticipating all the “oooh’s” and “awww’s” I would be receiving from my family after they tasted a slice of this heaven.
So then I let the bread sit and cool while I made a silky smooth, lemony glaze to drizzle on top. Then I toasted sliced almonds to a golden perfection and sprinkled them on top of that amazing glaze.
Once that loaf was dressed to my liking, it only seemed appropriate that I cut myself a slice.
BUBBLE BURST!
I could tell the moment I cut into the zucchini bread that something wasn’t right. It was dense and chewy. It was too salty and not nearly sweet enough. Oh, and it had this terrible olive oil after taste. Not even the frosting and toasted almonds could save this loaf.
Although, it was so pretty that I considered taking pictures and then tweaking the recipe later. But then I got too frustrated with my failed experiment and didn’t want to look at it for another second. Kind of the same way I feel about my kids by the time I put them to bed at night. Totally kidding…kind of.
So yeah, I’ll chalk that up as a learning experience. And I surely could have gone to bed tonight feeling like a solid loser, but then I got the sweetest text.
I had attended a ladies’ night out at our church and contributed a dip for the refreshment table. Almost every last morsel was consumed which obviously made me feel special. But then later in the evening my friend texted me “That cantaloupe salsa was amazing! And everyone around me was asking who made it and how good it was!”
Awwwwww! Seriously made my night. Literally turned my frown upside down. Maybe I wasn’t a complete failure after all…at least when it comes to salsa…cantaloupe salsa.
Now don’t be giving me any scrunched up noses or weird looks over cantaloupe salsa. You can’t dis it until you’ve tried it. I’ve never even heard of a salsa with cantaloupe before I made one. I just figured if you can make salsas out of peaches, mangoes, and watermelon, then why not cantaloupe?!
I’m telling you, this Cantaloupe Cucumber Lime Salsa is now my FAVORITE SALSA EVER!!! I’m not even exaggerating. It really is that delicious.
This salsa is loaded with pieces of cool, sweet cantaloupe that counterbalances the savory onion, bell peppers, and tomatoes. I spiced it up with some Tajin seasoning, lime juice, and honey for the ultimate punch of flavor.
Of course you have to add fresh cilantro to any kind of pico de gallo, so that was a no brainer right there. And if you like extra spicy, toss in a tablespoon of finely diced jalapeno. Just don’t rub your eye right after because, you know, that doesn’t pan out very well for your eyeball. Not that I would know…
So basically, when you are feeling like you can’t do anything right in life and you’ve just had a moment of utter defeat, I have the perfect solution to regain your confidence: make salsa. Not any ordinary salsa. Anyone can do that. I’m talking monumental salsa. Life changing salsa. The salsa of ALL salsas. Yes, the cure for self loathing is definitely in the making of cantaloupe salsa…or so I say. Wink, wink.
Are you a homemade salsa maker?
- 1 cup diced cantaloupe
- ⅔ cup peeled and diced cucumber
- ¼ cup finely diced onion
- ½ red bell pepper, diced
- 2 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon Tajin seasoning
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon honey
- dash of salt
- dash of pepper
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves
- Prepare cantaloupe and veggies by peeling and chopping. Place in a medium sized mixing bowl. Squeeze lime juice over mixture. Add Tajin seasoning, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and honey. Stir to combine. Add cilantro and toss to evenly distribute.
- Cover tightly and chill in fridge for at least 2 hours. Drain excess liquid. Serve cold as a dip for chips or as a topping for a variety of meals.
