Serve as a first course with thin, buttered slices of bread or crisp Cheese Pastries.
Serves 4
• 1 large cucumber
• 1 medium-sized avocado
• 2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
• ½ cup lemon juice
• 2 Tbs. vegetable oil
• 4 tsp. sugar
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 2 medium-sized cantaloupes
1. Peel the cucumber, quarter it lengthwise, remove the seeds with a small spoon and discard, and slice the cucumber quarters thinly. Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Peel it and cut it in medium dice. Combine the cucumber, avocado, and strawberries in a bowl and sprinkle them with the lemon juice, oil, sugar, and salt. Toss gently until everything is evenly coated with the dressing and refrigerate for an hour or so.
2. Cut the cantaloupes in half crosswise with a zigzag pattern: Using a sharp, pointed knife, push the point of the knife into the center of the cantaloupe, making an angled cut slightly less than 1 inch long. Pull the knife out and make another cut next to it at about a 90-degree angle. Continue around the center of the cantaloupe this way, making the cuts as even as possible, until you come all the way around. Pull the two halves apart and scoop out the seeds.
3. Fill the cantaloupe halves with the marinated fruit-and-vegetable mixture and chill them briefly before serving.
