There’s really almost no point in buying melons out of season. They’re one of the emblems of summer, product of the sun and the soil and the rain in specific amounts. If they get picked before they’ve had their fill of being attached to the plant, they won’t ripen properly and therefore will not have that same juicy-fruity refreshing flavor that makes melons so fabulous. Yes, you can get melon-like things in the supermarkets at other times of the year, though you may notice that A) they rarely come up to the standard we’ve grown accustomed to here on the fecund Eastern Shore, and B) that you can rarely find them in December or January. Mexico grows them, and so do the Caribbean and Central America, so we get them several months earlier than our own, coinciding with the southern seasons. But melons grown for transport from far away means they ‘re a tougher variety and have been yanked off their vines way before their time. Here endeth the lesson.
Meanwhile, we’ve got melons from here, right now. Despite the drought, our local growers have been judiciously watering throughout their growth, then picking each melon when the stem slips easily from the fruit. Now THAT’s gourmet. Not esoteric, not froufrou, just a very good thing picked at its peak and offered for our tables within a day — two at the most. Luxury.
Melons, which offer niacin, vitamin B6 and folate, vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium, are generally about 60 calories a cupful, so you can pretty much eat your fill with impunity.
Let’s face it; melons aren’t quite as versatile as a lot of other fruits and vegetables. But that’s OK since they are one of those ephemeral annual pleasures that you never have the chance to tire of. Just when you think you’ve had enough Jenny Lind or Cranshaw or Honeydew, they’re gone.
Of course, melons are terrific on their own. There’s nothing quite like a cool slice of ambrosia melon maybe drizzled on a hot day, or a slice of cantaloupe with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or lemon sorbet in it for dessert. Dress it up for company with the tiniest drizzle of Grand Marnier. And we’re blessed with a lot of different melons that have distinctly different flavors.
But you rarely think of melon when you’re doing barbequed pork. Melons are distinctly summertime eating, so lend themselves to lighter fare, usually dessert-y kinds of things: sorbets, fruit slushes and smoothies, fruit salads. Fresh-chunked melon with a few fresh berries (blackberries, blueberries, raspberries) in a bowl liberally doused with yogurt mixed with honey and nutmeg is the perfect end to a summer supper.
Having said that, melons have made inroads into the main course, and add beautifully as a salsa to things like lemon-grilled chicken or shrimp, seared scallops or sautéed fish in white wine, since the more subtle flavors have chance to shine. Yet even with the blessed creative freedom cooks have these days, I would not have thought of combining black beans with watermelon as Chef Kevin McKinney’s in his watermelon and black bean relish.
“For lunch, we used this as an accompaniment to griddled fish with a few mixed greens and a little spiced citrus vinaigrette,” says McKinney. “For dinner, we put it under some seared tuna with a little bacon and lemon butter sauce. The relish also makes a great healthy snack.”
(I can tell you first hand, it’s yummy.).
Brooks Tavern Watermelon and Black Bean Relish
1 cup black beans (recipe for preparing below)
1 cup finely diced watermelon
1 tsp finely diced jalapeno (or lesser Scoville-unit pepper, like fish or peppado)
1 tsp very finely minced garlic
2 chopped scallions or one minced shallot
4 tblsp grapeseed or other mild oil
3 tblsp lime juice
2 mint leaves, finely chopped
salt and pepper
To prepare the black beans: Put 1 cup dried beans in 2 cups water (or 2 cups of water leftover from boiling corn on the cob, which adds sweetness). Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit for 1 hour. Pour off water. Put beans into a pot with 2 more cups of water, 1 stick of cinnamon, 1 star anise, a bay leaf, a dried chipotle pepper, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer until tender, about an hour. (You can double the recipe and use these beans for other recipes, including a black bean quesadilla with melon and mango salsa). When beans are tender, turn off the pot and let them cool in the water to absorb all the flavors. Drain and chill. Mix together all ingredients except the melon. When everything is well-distributed, fold in the watermelon. Serve with fish.
Melon Salsa
2 cups cantaloupe or honeydew
1 lemon pepper
¼ cup red onion or scallion
3 tblsp lime juice
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp powdered garlic or a ¼ tsp finely mince garlic
¼ tsp cumin
Dice all ingredients and mix gently. Serve chilled.
https://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cucumber-Honeydew-Smoothie/Detail.aspx
https://allrecipes.com/recipe/best-melon-mango-and-avocado-salad/detail.aspx
https://healthy.food.com/recipe/watermelon-soda-173651
https://www.food.com/recipe/watermelon-blueberry-salad-witha-hint-of-heat-462239
https://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/melon_sorbet/
https://allrecipes.com/recipe/lime-honeydew-sorbet/detail.aspx
https://allrecipes.com/recipe/watermelon-and-feta-salad-with-arugula-and-spinach/detail.aspx
https://www.wholeliving.com/photogallery/melon-recipes
https://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2011/08/cool-melon-soup
https://www.perfectentertaining.com/page1425.html
https://www.perfectentertaining.com/page1417.html
https://www.perfectentertaining.com/page1420.html
https://www.yummly.com/recipe/Tuna-Steaks-With-Melon-Salsa-Allrecipes
This would be delicious with baked rockfish or grilled perch.
https://www.yummly.com/recipe/Grilled-Bass-With-Green-Tomato-And-Watermelon-Salsa-Epicurious
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