Planting melons too close to cucumbers will keep them from ever ripening, but serving them together is a refreshing summer delight. Especially when the cool flesh of both is warmed with the back of the throat of chili oil.

This recipe makes more chili oil than you need, but it is unendingly useful to have on your counter and drizzle on just about everything.

• ¼ C chili flakes
• 2 C safflower oil
• 1 small melon, preferably cantaloupe
• 3 cucumbers
• 8oz feta
• 1 bu parsley

1. In a small frying pan, toast the chili flakes until they are fragrant and starting to darken.
   Remove from the heat and add the oil
2. Allow the cool and use when fully cool
3. Stripe the cucumbers and cut into 1/8” rounds
4. Cut the top and bottom of the melon and then, with a knife, cut the skin away in long strips.
5. Cut the melon in half and scoop out the seeds, then cut into 1” pieces
6. Pick, wash and roughly chop the parsley
7. Combine the cucumbers, melon and parsley in a bowl and toss with a glug of olive oil and salt
8. Lay out on a serving platter
9. Skitter feta over the top and drizzle liberally with the chili oil