Cory Mosser spread his armload of melons on the countertop of the Burge Plantation kitchen and started hacking away.
Fortunately, chef Andrew Featherstone was on hand to take over the knifework, and before I could finish a cup of coffee we were standing over a beautiful sampling of fresh-from-the-field melon. I couldn’t imagine a more perfect July breakfast.
A half-hour earlier, my boyfriend and I had arrived at Mosser’s doorstep with almost no advance notice — not a particularly nice thing to do to someone who’s just welcomed a new baby into the family. But Mosser gamely told us to come on, and we pulled up — serendipitously — just after the farmer had gathered several ripe fruit from his ample melon patch.
We took a stroll through the field, where Mosser gave us a briefing in melon ripeness and selection. Actually, more of a lament. “Winter squash aren’t as hard as these dad-gone melons,” he said. “Some of these heirloom varieties go from unripe to overripe in a second. And if you don’t get them, they turn into mush in a day.”
But the pleasure in growing watermelons and muskmelons with names like Ali Baba, Yellow Moon and Stars, White Sugar Lump, Emerald Gem and Prescott Fond Blanc is that very element of surprise. The variety in colors, shapes, sizes, growing habit and, most of all, flavor, is what prompted Mosser to grow his melon melange.
Although our conventional food supply system has left us familiar with only a few melon cultivars, there are more than 1,000 out there, ready to be rediscovered in gardens, on local farms and at farmers markets. “Not all melons should taste the same,” Mosser said.
And here before us, on one plate, was a good representation of the variety of flavors and colors and textures that can come out of one patch in Mansfield. We grabbed our forks and started tasting.
The range was astounding. From mild to musky, delicately subtle to powerfully sweet, light and crisp to dense and creamy, just these few varieties represented a world of gustatory sensation. Some cried out for a sprinkling of salt, others perhaps a garnish of mint. A few I just wanted to take out on the back porch, where I could freely spit seeds, and dig in.
Which melon was which? Well to be honest, I don’t entirely know. Looking at a plate of cut-up fruit, even Mosser wasn’t completely sure. But that’s pretty much the point when it comes to melons. You just cut them open and see what you’ve got. The pleasure is in the surprise.
Mosser sells his Burge Organic Farm melons and other produce at the Peachtree Road Farmers Market (8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturdays, 2744 Peachtree Road).
Fig alert: You can pick your own figs at TaylOrganic Farm, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. every Sunday in August. Call ahead to check availability and pricing. The farm is at 7095 Highway 155 North, Ellenwood.
At local farmers markets
Arugula, beans, beets, blueberries, carrots, chicory, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, field peas, figs, greens, herbs, kale, lambsquarters, melons, okra, peaches, pears, peppers, potatoes, salad mix, summer squash, sweet potato greens, Swiss chard, tomatoes, zucchini
From farther afield
Looking good: Chilean apples, Washington apricots, Florida avocados, New York beans, Washington and Michigan blueberries, Wisconsin and New York cabbage, Indiana and Carolina cantaloupe, Michigan and New York corn, North Carolina eggplant, California honeydews, Chilean kiwifruit, New Jersey nectarines, Florida okra, Chilean and South African oranges, Chilean and Argentine pears, Michigan and New Jersey peppers, Ohio and Michigan summer squash, Mexican tomatoes, Illinois and Delaware watermelon
Coming in: Chilean avocados, North Carolina beans, Virginia cabbage, Colorado cantaloupe, Michigan eggplant, California grapes, Appalachian nectarines, Michigan and Appalachian peaches, North Carolina peppers and summer squash, Michigan and North Carolina tomatoes
Variable quality: California artichokes, Guatemalan beans, California and Southeast blackberries, New Jersey blueberries, Mexican radishes, California raspberries, Oregon rhubarb, California strawberries and tomatoes
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Melon-Cucumber Smoothie
Hands on: 5 minutes Total time: 5 minutes Serves: 1
This drink is light, refreshing and just perfect on a summer day. If it’s happy hour, try it with a splash of rum or melon liqueur. Because the flavor will vary with each melon, you’ll want to taste it and adjust the ingredients as necessary. Add a drizzle of honey if you like.
11/2 cups cubed melon
1/2 small cucumber, peeled
3 or 4 ice cubes
4 mint leaves
2 basil leaves
Squirt of lime juice
Cucumber slice or mint sprig for garnish
In a blender or food processor, puree the melon, cucumber, ice cubes, mint leaves, basil leaves and lime juice. Taste; adjust flavors to your preference and garnish, if desired.
Per serving: 106 calories (percent of calories from fat, 5), 3 grams protein, 25 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 1 gram fat (trace saturated), no cholesterol, 26 milligrams sodium.
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