Old Beach Farmers Market | MELONS AND MATERS

MELONS AND MATERS — AUGUST 8 2015

05/08/15 3:57 PM

Cantaloupes and watermelons are especially fine this week, thanks to near-perfect growing conditions. The sun-ripened fruits are a guilt-free treat – loaded with flavor and nutritional benefits but very low in calories.

Mix watermelon with sliced red onion, salt and pepper for a refreshing salad. Serve cantaloupe with yogurt and chopped mint.

Heirloom tomatoes are another summer delight. Heirlooms are old-fashioned cultivars bred for taste rather than shelf life. They are delicious holdovers from the days before industrialized agriculture.

Heirlooms come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes, all with sublime flavors and wonderful names: Cherokee Purple, Mortgage Lifter, Green Zebra, German Johnson, Eva Purple Ball, Black Cherry, Yellow Pear. Combine several types for a sparkling summer salad.

RECIPE

CHILLED CANTALOUPE SOUP

A delightful and refreshing way to enjoy the summer’s bounty of cantaloupes is with a chilled soup.

Made rich and creamy with the addition of a thick, nutty yogurt, this soup is perfect as an amuse when served in shooter glasses, an appetizer ladled up by the cupful, or an entrée when presented in a large bowl or tureen.

It can even do double time as a dessert with the substitution of cumin for cinnamon, deletion of crushed red pepper, and a tad bit more honey drizzled in. Offer to guests in a parfait glass with a scoop of fruit sorbet added.

Here’s how to make my version: cut the flesh of a large ripe cantaloupe into cubes and add in a blender with 1/4 cup Greek yogurt, 1 teaspoon honey and the juice of one-half lime. Pulse and add the zest of one lime, 3 basil leaves, 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin, a dash of crushed red pepper and a pinch of kosher salt. Process until smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding a splash or two of water.

Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate at least 3-4 hours, until chilled, or overnight. Stir before serving. Serve garnished with a drizzle of yogurt, chopped basil (or mint) and, optionally, cornbread croutons. Yields 4 bowls.

If you’d like a recipe for cornbread croutons, please email me at PatrickEvansHylton@gmail.com with “cornbread croutons” in the subject line.

Recipe from Chef Patrick Evans-Hylton

www.PatrickEvansHylton.com

VENDORS

Artisan’s Bakery & Café

Three Ships Coffee

The Bakery at Riverside Farm

Bergey’s Bread Basket

The Creative Wedge

Croc’s 19^th Street Bistro

Cromwell’s Produce

Edmonds Farm