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Today In the Kitchen: Summer means melons, and lots of choices
Melons are one of the pleasures of the season, and they’re showing up in the markets right on time. Members of the curcurbit family, which also includes squashes, pumpkins and cucumbers, melons are native to western Asia. They have been depicted in Egyptian hieroglyphics as far back as 2400 BC. The story is that Columbus brought seeds to the New World.
Some of the varieties, and the color of the rind/flesh, include:
the cream/light green, sweet Honeydew
yellow-green/cream, spicy, juicy Casaba
yellow-green/pink-orange, distinctive Crenshaw
yellow/pale green, mild Canary
gray-blue/deep orange, sweet Charentais
dark green/orange-pink, sweet Persian
orange/white Sharlyn, which tastes like a combination of honeydew and cantaloupe.
Watermelon, in particular, screams “SUMMER!” It is thought that the seeds were brought to North America on slave ships. Early explorers used the melons as canteens. They are 92 percent water by weight, and contain significant Vitamin C, as well as other vitamins and minerals, and antioxidants. However, watermelon is high on the glycemic index, so if you have blood sugar problems, it’s a good idea to monitor your reaction.
Watermelons come in various sizes and colors other than green/red, including orange, yellow and white flesh. One of my favorites to grow is called “Moon and Stars,” and has a beautiful dark green rind with white circles that look like its name. When buying the fruit, look for a cream-colored spot on the underbelly, where the melon lay during the ripening process - if that’s not there, it may have been harvested prematurely.
In addition to eating watermelon flesh, the seeds can be roasted and eaten, and the rind can be pickled (although it might be worth buying organic if you’re going to do the latter). Some people juice the nutrient-rich rind. Again, I would recommend buying organic if you’re going to do this. All the melons can be juiced as well as eaten fresh. A lovely, chilled summer soup can be made by blending melon, kiwi and yogurt. Be creative. A dash of cardamon or vanilla might be interesting. Or, you could omit the yogurt, and go with orange juice, lime and mint.
Another welcome face in the produce department is the bramble (Rubus) family - blackberries and raspberries. Blackberry is a generic term that includes Boysenberries, Loganberries and Marionberries. One of the taste features of these berries is that they are both sweet and tart. They are full of vitamins and antioxidants. If you can get enough of them and not consume them all fresh, a berry crumble is a fine treat. Use your favorite topping (flour, sweetener, ground nuts, and butter or coconut oil) over the berries, which may not require sweetener. Here’s a chance to try an alternative sweetener - agave nectar, honey, or xylitol. Bake about 25 minutes or until the topping is browned. If I add yogurt when served, I convince myself that this is a healthy dessert.
Make a liqueur
Did you know that you can also make blackberry liqueur? If you can get hold of 2 pounds of berries, toss them with 2 cups raw sugar and let the mixture sit for at least 2 hours. Press through a sieve; mix the juice with an equal amount of gin. Store in a sealed bottle for at least a month.
My neighbor’s apricot tree is starting to drop blushed fruit. It appears to be a good year for this tree - apricot trees tend not to be consistent year after year in their fruit production. I’m in line for any excess, to make jam (if the fruit is great, it doesn’t even require sugar!). I also have a small dehydrator which dries things like apricots and cherry tomatoes into treats as sweet as jelly beans.
Samaya Jones is a Holistic Nutritional Consultant and Natural Foods Personal Chef, who cooks for you and your guests in your home. She writes for health websites, newspapers, and teaches wine education classes. She can be reached at ncsamayaj@gmail.com.
Some of the varieties, and the color of the rind/flesh, include:
Watermelon, in particular, screams “SUMMER!” It is thought that the seeds were brought to North America on slave ships. Early explorers used the melons as canteens. They are 92 percent water by weight, and contain significant Vitamin C, as well as other vitamins and minerals, and antioxidants. However, watermelon is high on the glycemic index, so if you have blood sugar problems, it’s a good idea to monitor your reaction.
Watermelons come in various sizes and colors other than green/red, including orange, yellow and white flesh. One of my favorites to grow is called “Moon and Stars,” and has a beautiful dark green rind with white circles that look like its name. When buying the fruit, look for a cream-colored spot on the underbelly, where the melon lay during the ripening process - if that’s not there, it may have been harvested prematurely.
In addition to eating watermelon flesh, the seeds can be roasted and eaten, and the rind can be pickled (although it might be worth buying organic if you’re going to do the latter). Some people juice the nutrient-rich rind. Again, I would recommend buying organic if you’re going to do this. All the melons can be juiced as well as eaten fresh. A lovely, chilled summer soup can be made by blending melon, kiwi and yogurt. Be creative. A dash of cardamon or vanilla might be interesting. Or, you could omit the yogurt, and go with orange juice, lime and mint.
Another welcome face in the produce department is the bramble (Rubus) family - blackberries and raspberries. Blackberry is a generic term that includes Boysenberries, Loganberries and Marionberries. One of the taste features of these berries is that they are both sweet and tart. They are full of vitamins and antioxidants. If you can get enough of them and not consume them all fresh, a berry crumble is a fine treat. Use your favorite topping (flour, sweetener, ground nuts, and butter or coconut oil) over the berries, which may not require sweetener. Here’s a chance to try an alternative sweetener - agave nectar, honey, or xylitol. Bake about 25 minutes or until the topping is browned. If I add yogurt when served, I convince myself that this is a healthy dessert.
Make a liqueur
Did you know that you can also make blackberry liqueur? If you can get hold of 2 pounds of berries, toss them with 2 cups raw sugar and let the mixture sit for at least 2 hours. Press through a sieve; mix the juice with an equal amount of gin. Store in a sealed bottle for at least a month.
My neighbor’s apricot tree is starting to drop blushed fruit. It appears to be a good year for this tree - apricot trees tend not to be consistent year after year in their fruit production. I’m in line for any excess, to make jam (if the fruit is great, it doesn’t even require sugar!). I also have a small dehydrator which dries things like apricots and cherry tomatoes into treats as sweet as jelly beans.
Samaya Jones is a Holistic Nutritional Consultant and Natural Foods Personal Chef, who cooks for you and your guests in your home. She writes for health websites, newspapers, and teaches wine education classes. She can be reached at ncsamayaj@gmail.com.
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