Smashed Cucumber and Melon Salad

Cool, crunchy, and refreshing, this sweet and savory salad is inspired by pai huang gau, the classic spicy Chinese smashed cucumbers I loved growing up. Not only is smashing the cucumbers fun, but this technique is an easy way to deseed them and imparts craggy edges ideal for catching the sesame oil dressing. Sweet Hami melon brings up the crunch factor, although cantaloupe or honeydew would work just as well in this. I like to pack up a container of this salad, pop it into a cooler, and head to the beach for the ultimate cool-off snack to share on hot summer days.