As the weather warms up, the food we choose gets colder. There’s nothing quite like a slice of melon at the end of a warm spring day. It’s still a little early for the best melons, but I’m starting to see a few more varieties at my local market. When I was a kid, my daddy grew many types of melon in his garden. The best tasting melon in the world is one that you raised yourself.
Pepino is a great source of vitamin B. If you can imagine a taste between a cucumber and a honeydew melon, that is what a pepino tastes like. It compliments a fruit salad nicely.
Crenshaw melons are known by their yellow skin and oblong shape. They make a great sorbet: Puree flesh until smooth and pour into a metal baking dish. Freeze, scraping and fluffing with a fork every 30 minutes, for 2-3 hours.
This is a Kansas spring and summer staple food! Some people make smoothies and other things, but in our family, we cut cantaloupe in half, scrape the seeds out and grab a spoon. It’s chock full of vitamin A – more than a day’s worth!
Honeydew is not my favorite melon, but it is a good source of vitamin C. According to Keri Gans, author of The Small Change Diet, you can make a dessert soup by mixing honeydew puree’ with unsweetened almond milk, honey and lime juice.
The canary melon, also known as Spanish melon or Juan Canary, pairs well with citrus or ginger flavors and makes a refreshing cold soup or drink. Like other melons, the canary melon is a healthy addition to your diet, offering a number of benefits. Not only does this melon help you keep a lid on calories, but it’s also a good source of nutrients that help you fight off disease.
Watermelon has lycopene, which may protect against cancer and heart disease. There are seedless varieties, which I prefer, but the melons with seeds provide hours of entertainment for those of us who engage in seed-spitting contests. Wink! 😉
HEART HUNGER 