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8/7 #606 WATERMELON Continuing on our theme of last week, we would like to talk about another excellent way of keeping cool, and that would be getting some good old fashioned ice cold watermelon inside your belly. As a kid, watermelons were an incredible treat, albeit one that tried my patience. The family rule was that the watermelon had to spend at least 24 hours in the refrigerator before we could touch it. The watermelon is an ancient fruit, and it is thought to have originated in the Kalahari dessert. Very quickly it spread around the middle east and the Mediterranean, and eventually to India and China. Watermelons existed in colonial American, and have been summer staples ever since. In the 1930’s nurserymen in South Carolina developed the “Charleston Grey” which was the first modern melon designed for the rigors of mass consumption. Today four categories of watermelon exist: picnic, icebox, seedless and yellow flesh. In recent years grocers have favored smaller round seedless melons, and miniature varieties like Sugar Baby are popular. As far as picking a melon goes, we recommend one thing: color. Look at the bottom of the melon, where it laid on the ground. The deeper the color, be it cream or yellow, the riper the melon. Pale white bottoms equal a waste of money. Once you take them home, try to eat them quickly. Once opened they will deteriorate over 3-4 days.
Watermelon Gazpacho
Ingredients
2 cups, ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped into 1 inch cubes 4 cups watermelon, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes 2 cups cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes ½ cup olive oil ¼ cup sherry vinegar ¼ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped 6 limes, zested and juiced 1 tablespoon cumin, or to taste Salt, white pepper and Tabasco
In a food processor or blender, combine all the ingredients until smooth. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours. Adjust the seasoning with salt, white pepper and Tabasco. Serve in chilled bowls. You can garnish the soup with something simple like a sprig of cilantro or some chopped watermelon or go upscale with either crab meat or a poached cold shrimp.
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