Cantaloupe With Spicy Bacon-Cashew Crumble

Juicy melon with a salty-sweet crunchy topping makes for a low-effort but universally crowd-pleasing summer appetizer. “My mother has been making this dish since I was a young kid,” says the cookbook author Leela Punyaratabandhu. “It’s inspired by the Italian classic, prosciutto e melone, and an elegant and old-school Thai appetizer in which watermelon is paired with a sweet, salty, sandy crumble. You won’t find cantaloupe paired with spicy bacon-cashew crumble anywhere in Thailand, but this was one of my after-school snacks and, to this day, one of my favorite things to serve when I entertain guests.” Swap any melon for the cantaloupe—as long as it’s ripe, it will be delicious—and don’t serve it straight out of the fridge, because very cold melon will solidify the residual bacon fat in the crumble. Serve it with Leela’s summery menu for Grilled Pork Shoulder Steaks With Green Pepper Relish, Khao Niao (Thai Sticky Rice), Cucumber, Tomato, and Green Bean Salad, Grilled Scallops With Peach Sweet Chili Sauce, and Lime-Lemongrass Slushies.