The only thing I look forward to during the dog days of summer, when every day seems to take the word sweltering to a new dimension, is watermelon. Oh, and cantaloupe, and honeydew—basically all the melons. I cannot think of a more refreshing feeling than eating chilled watermelon. Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer agree, nothing that melons and other cool fruits (they include cucumbers in this category) are the perfect foods for August.

While just noshing on them out of hand cannot be discounted as a wonderful treat, there are myriad ways to enjoy these fruits. Combinations like feta and watermelon and prosciutto and cantaloupe are classics for a reason, and there are plenty of salad recipes that feature melons of all stripes. Cold soups are another great way to incorporate melon into a meal, and the flavor options are nearly unlimited. Srulovich and Packer link to two Yotam Ottlenghi recipes, Cucumber, yoghurt and peanut soup and Watermelon and tomato gazpacho with almond oil. Both look fantastic.

It took me quite some time to warm to the idea of cold soups, but once I embraced them there was no looking back. One soup is in heavy rotation at our house is a cantaloupe gazpacho with crispy prosciutto (pictured above) that I believe came from Serious Eats, but which has since disappeared from the website. Thankfully I made it often enough that I can live without the recipe, but let that serve as a reminder to always keep a local copy of your very favorite items just in case.