The taste and scent of ripe melons is a complex delight and there's nothing quite like a refreshing slice of melon to cool you down in the height of the summer sun.
These days, Spain is the world's largest exporter
of melons and “Piel de Sapos” are one of the most widely grown. Their
name translates as "Toad Skin", which is a
reference to its dark green roughly textured surface. They certainly
stand out visually among our cream-colored melons, and their super sweet
flavour and unique texture are on par with their notable visual appearance.
The melons I get really excited about are the small
summer varieties that tend to be very fragrant even before being cut including
cantaloupes, of which the orange fleshed Charentais is my personal favourite
although difficult to find here. The green-tinged, pearly-fleshed Galia is a
delicious relative. Smoother-skinned varieties, such as the yellow honeydew
have a sweeter aroma and make great eating at this time of the year.
To avoid disappointment, inspect before you buy. Melons don't ripen further once picked, so if you get an immature one, you're stuck with it. Press the melon gently at the flower end: it should give a little. Smell it, too: summer melons should have plenty of bouquet. Once you've got a ripe melon, scrub it under cold water, because the skin can harbour bacteria, cut in half, and scoop out the seeds and fibres with a teaspoon, then slice or scoop the flesh off the skin. Once cut, melons should be refrigerated and used within about two days. Enclose them in plastic bags to protect other produce in the refrigerator from the ethylene gas that the melons give off. Ripe melons are also very fragrant, and the aroma of a cut melon can easily penetrate other foods.
Melons combine well with ginger, orange, chilli, strawberries, and grapes. I also love the flavour combination of melon with fresh mint.
Melon with Serrano ham may have become a bit of a cliché since its 1970s heyday, but it is a classically harmonious flavour pairing, and so simple to prepare.
Watermelon is also sometimes referred to as “nature's ice lolly” because it is so refreshing and it’s just about the perfect thing to eat on a beach. It takes eight to 12 hours to chill a whole watermelon thoroughly. Cut watermelon should be tightly wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for no more than four days. Watermelon can also be mixed with fresh tomatoes, sherry vinegar and olive oil to make a cooling watermelon and tomato gazpacho. I often serve this soup in the restaurant as an appetizer during the long summer months. I also love to make a wonderfully fresh salad of watermelon, feta cheese and black olives when I’m cooking for friends and family at home. It’s simple to prepare, light, fresh and healthy. What more do you need?
WATERMELON GAZPACHO WITH A SIMPLE CHERRY TOMATO SALAD
Ingredients: serves 4
Simple cherry tomato salad
8
cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 small red onion (finely chopped)
6 basil leaves, torn
75ml olive oil
A pinch of salt
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and leave to sit for 10 minutes.
Watermelon Gazpacho:
200g Watermelon (de-seeded and diced)
1 Cucumber (peeled, seeded and diced)
4 tomatoes (diced)
2 tbsp sherry Vinegar
4 tbsp extra Virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Blend all the ingredients in a liquidiser and pass through a fine sieve.
Chill in the refrigerator until required.
WATERMELON, CUCUMBER, FETA CHEESE & BLACK OLIVE SALAD
This is a different version of the classic Greek salad replacing tomatoes with refreshing, summer watermelon. Try it…it’s delicious!
Ingredients serves 6
1 small red onion, finely sliced
400g diced watermelon (peeled & de-seeded)
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
200g feta cheese, crumbled
1 bunch fresh mint (chopped)
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
100g pitted black olives
Juice of 2 limes
Seasoning
Mix the diced watermelon with the lime juice, cucumber, red onions, olives, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place in a large bowl and top with the crumbles feta cheese and chopped mint or coriander leaves. Serve immediately.
WATERMELON AND CUCUMBER AGUA FRESCA
Ingredients serves 6
½ small watermelon, peeled, deseeded & chopped
1 large cucumber, peeled, deseeded & chopped
1tbsp clear honey
Juice of 3 limes
10 leaves of fresh mint
Place all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. Serve in tall glasses with crushed ice cubes and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.
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