A signature melon salad for Montana

When it comes to food, peaches are synonymous with Georgia, potatoes with Idaho, and bourbon with Kentucky. Dixon, Montana (renamed last year to “Sčilíp,” a Salish word meaning “confluence”) has made a name for itself with a variety of top-notch melons that have become summertime favorites in Big Sky Country. 

You might wonder how such a specific crop can thrive and become so popular in what seems like an unlikely area. That is, until you visit with Cassie Silvernale, part-owner of Dixon Melons, who says this pocket of northwestern Montana has a microclimate perfect for growing them. 

Cassie has been working for Dixon Melons since 2005 and is now a part-owner with her husband, Faus. Dixon Melons is first and foremost a family operation. It was started in the 1980s by Harley and Joey Hettick, who decided to plant a small patch of melons in their garden to see how they would do. They kept planting more each season until it turned into a commercial operation, producing melons to sell in grocery stores and at farmers markets — which is where I first encountered them — for the roughly six-week window of melon season.

The farm’s reach stretches to Missoula, Helena, Butte, Bozeman and Columbia Falls. A flatbed truck full of the fragrant spheres of pure sunshine will pull up to a market spot and instantly draw a long line of Montanans seeking their sweet goodness. Last August I gladly stood in one of those lines that wrapped around a full city block at Helena’s farmers market. Worth the wait!

For those outside their distribution area, but willing to make a seasonal pilgrimage to Dixon, the family has established a farm stand the last three years to sell directly to consumers. 

So when is Dixon melon season? Like any growing season — especially in Montana’s wild climate — the start and end can vary from year to year. They say the earliest they’ve ever picked melons was July 20, but sometimes they’re not ripe until the second week of August. Dixon Melons usually gets about six weeks of picking and selling melons each year. 

For Cassie’s family, mid to late summer means long days and lots of travel. When the season is in full swing, Cassie explains, “we’re lucky to even eat dinner.” So sometimes they dine on simple melon wrapped in prosciutto. 

“Dixon Melons is our livelihood and it supports our family,” she says, but it’s also a source of pride to produce something so sought after. “When that [farmers market] line hits, that is why we worked so hard.”

It was the summer of 2022 that I first took several Dixon melons and created a flavorful dish that can serve as either a salad course with a sweet and salty edge or a super-light dessert. I’ve made it every summer since — at least when I’m lucky enough to land some. 

The melons are joined by co-stars that bring complementary flavors to the table. Feta, with its creamy saltiness, is a classic pairing. Mint and basil add complex herby notes. For a not-so-sweet vegetable addition (this is a salad, after all) I include freshly picked cucumbers (which, yes, are fruits, botanically speaking). You can probably find them at your local farmers market as well, or maybe in your backyard garden. 

My salad needed texture, so I went with my favorite nut: pistachios. (Chopped cashews would be a good substitution.) To tie it all together I made a dressing with lime juice, extra virgin olive oil, honey and pistachio butter. If you can’t find pistachio butter (it’s usually in the same aisle as peanut butter in the store), you can sub in tahini. 

Aside from the dressing, this recipe offers little direction when it comes to the size and proportions of the salad’s ingredients. That’s so you can customize according to your tastes. Let your palate guide the ratios. 

DIXON MELON SALAD RECIPE
Serves 4-6 

1 cantaloupe
1 watermelon
1 English cucumber
crumbled feta
fresh mint 
fresh basil
pistachios
1 tbsp pistachio butter or tahini
2 tsp honey
1 1/2-2 tbsp lime juice (about one lime, squeezed)
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt

Combine the pistachio butter (or tahini), honey and lime juice in a bowl and stir well to combine. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking constantly, to incorporate. Add a pinch of salt and stir. 

Remove the rinds from the cantaloupe and watermelon and cut the flesh into bite-size pieces. Peel most of the cucumber (leaving a bit of green for color) and cut into bite-size pieces, similar to the watermelon and cantaloupe. Roughly chop some fresh mint and basil. Shell your pistachios and chop them into small pieces. 

Assemble the mix of watermelon, cantaloupe and cucumber on your plate and drizzle with the dressing. Top with your preferred mix of crumbled feta, chopped pistachios, chopped mint and basil.