Grilled Cantaloupe

I love grilled pineapple, so I thought grilled cantaloupe would be great too.

I peeled a section, sliced and seeded it, and threw it on the grill while we were eating dinner.

When it had grill marks - which took a while - we tried it. Bleh. It didn't do anything for either of us.

It turns out we prefer our melon chilled, not warm.

Trying new things is part of what I like about cooking. And if the experiment doesn't work, the compost pile is ready to accept contributions and turn them into excellent fertilizer for the other plants we grow.

Cantaloupe and Lemon Verbena

Lemon verbena is a tender perennial that flourishes in Southern California. Its lemony-scented leaves are great in tea and sprinkled over salads and desserts. You can also dry them and put them in sachets to lightly scent your clothes or linens. I have not done this, although our lemon verbena plant is big enough that I could make many sachets with it.

It has grown to 5 feet in all directions, and has draped itself over and through a trellis fence. Rambling through its branches are a gloriosa lily, a tomatillo, a rose-scented geranium, and a serrano pepper plant.

The other day I braved the jungle to pick a few lemon-scented leaves that I sliced and scattered over fresh cantaloupe. It was a great combination - the verbena tasted peppery when combined with the sweetness of the cantaloupe. Yum.

Gloriosa lily clambering through the lemon verbena

Homegrown fruit

For many years, I have attempted to grow cantaloupes. I buy a seedling, plant it, and cross my fingers. Usually they die because I don't water them enough. Last year, I tried growing one up a trellis next to some cucumber plants, and a critter came through and dug the cantaloupe plant up by its roots.

This year, I tempted fate again. I started cantaloupes from seeds, planted them out in a new bed I carved out of the lawn, and hoped for the best.

And we have cantaloupes!!!!

We ate one for breakfast the other day, combined with our homegrown blueberries. What a great combination.

Almost ripe!

Crenshaw Melon

We bought an organic Crenshaw Melon from Rocky Mountain farms yesterday.

It weighs 6 lbs! And the farmer told me it was one of the smaller ones he's grown.

I heard a story years ago that these melons were discovered growing in someone's yard on Crenshaw Blvd. in LA. I can't find anything to back up the story, so it might be an urban myth. Crenshaws are a cross between casaba and Persian melons, and are known for their sweetness. People seem to get quite addicted to them.

The people next to me at the stall raved about them, and I'd never tried one before, so I bought it, and gave it to Larry to carry.

I have to say, it's really good. It's similar in flavor to a cantaloupe, but it has a richness to it that makes it more interesting.

It's big enough that we'll be eating it all week. And maybe next week we'll come home with another.

A Melon a Day

It is hard for me to resist all the beautiful organic melons as I stroll the Hollywood Farmers Market on Sunday mornings.

Cantaloupes, watermelons, persian melons, crenshaw melons - and melons whose names I don't remember - all so sweet and juicy and refreshing.

They're also very healthy. Melons have varying amounts of carotenoids to promote eye health and bone growth, Vitamin C, and nutrients that improve immune function, reduce blood pressure, and fight inflammation.

Plus they develop our muscles as we haul bags of them to our car.

Summer fruit

We have been loving our morning fruit.

Organic melons, peaches, plums and grapes.

Is there anything more beautiful to start the day with?