Swap out the usual lettuce for crisp greens, herbs and melon - Gainesville Times

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Swap out the usual lettuce for crisp greens, herbs and melon

Melons are a staple of summer, but you can add a bit of heat with some spice to compliment the cool melon. At top is cured watermelon crudo with thyme, Vietnamese shrimp with green melon, at bottom, and at right is green melon with cubanelle peppers and ricotta. - photo by Mark DuFrene

FOOD MELONS-SPICE 3 SJ 2 — Melons are a staple of summer, but you can add a bit of heat with some spice to compliment the cool melon. At top is cured watermelon crudo with thyme, Vietnamese shrimp with green melon, at bottom, and at right is green melon with cubanelle peppers and ricotta. - photo by Mark DuFrene

Sad to say, but salads have gotten a bad rap. Many folks look down upon them as "rabbit food" or bland bowls of iceberg nothingness. With their potential for high nutritional value and low calorie content, it’s time for the garden patch gang to hire a new public relations team.