Food Friday: Melons sporting a Technicolor twist on tradition

(Photo by Kathy Dixon)

I bought a seedless melon at a farmers’ market recently. It looked like a regular watermelon with a green, striped rind.

But when I got it home and rinsed and cut it, imagine my surprise at the canary yellow flesh hidden inside. I called for my husband to come take a look.

He said it was weird, but after tasting it we declared it better than a red melon. The taste was very similar (If I was blindfolded I don’t think I could have told you what color the melon was), but it was very sweet and seedless and fun.

Watermelons used to be green on the outside, red or pink on the inside and full of black seeds. But today different varieties of melons—from seedless to colorful—are all the rage.

One of the farmers’ market stand staff told me orange watermelons would be arriving soon! And I read that scientists in California have developed a multi-colored melon whose flesh resembles a tie-dyed T-shirt.

No matter what color the melon, they are all chock-full of vitamin C and potassium, low-calorie and fat- and cholesterol-free.

So go on, indulge in the rainbow of watermelon colors and enjoy the best fruit summer has to offer.

To find a ripe watermelon, look for a spot where the melon rested on the soil. If the spot is greenish or white, then the melon isn’t ripe. As the melon ripens, the spot will turn a cream or yellowish color.

For a refreshing salad, try the following recipe from Whole Foods Market:

Watermelon and Arugula Salad

Ingredients

6 cups diced seedless watermelon

half a small red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup feta cheese crumbles

½ cup toasted sunflower seeds

6 tablespoons prepared balsamic dressing

5 cups lightly packed baby arugula

cracked black pepper to taste

Directions

In a large bowl, combine watermelon, onion, feta and sunflower seeds. Drizzle with dressing, and toss to coat. Add arugula, and toss again. Sprinkle with pepper and serve.