You know the perfect melon when you read one—food writers are hopelessly poetic in the face of hyper-seasonal food. But what happens when the food we pay homage to falls short of expectations? What do we do when perfectly ripe produce is anything but?
Few things are as disappointing as a mealy piece of fruit, particularly if you’ve waited all year for it.
Of course, you chance disappointment when buying a single piece of fruit, but with a huge watermelon, say, your gamble is greater. The good thing is, your options expand, too. The following recipe is my recent rescue work of watermelon that sat too long in the fridge. Of course, the soup is even better with watermelon at its prime.
One last note: don’t think about letting the rind go to waste. At Purple Kale Kitchenworks, we find delicious ways of using parts of food that we’d otherwise throw away. We use the white part of the watermelon rind in a salad with corn, green pepper, olive oil, and cumin. We substitute this same rind for cucumber in a white gazpacho, with almonds, sherry vinegar, bread, and herbs. We use it on its own for granita, mixed with lemon and cardamom syrup. We even pickle the tough, green part of the rind alone for snacks and for a salad with cured meats, red onion, and parsley vinaigrette. Enjoy.
Serves 4 to 6
3 tablespoons or more of extra virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, finely diced, about ½ cup
1 small watermelon (about 2 pounds) cut in indiscriminately thick slices
2 pounds ripe tomatoes
1–2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon or more sherry vinegar
5 or 6 large mint leaves, julienned
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, minced
1 tablespoon capers, minced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is completely tender and lightly browned. Season lightly with salt.
Meanwhile, place a large-holed grater over a large bowl. Grate the melon directly into the bowl, down to the rind. Pick out the black seeds. Do the same with the tomatoes. Discard the core, if it is large, woodsy, and tasteless. You may be left with tomato skins that resist grating. Toss those into the bowl, too, or reserve them for draping over garlic-rubbed, grilled bread.
When onions are cooked, add them to the tomatoes and watermelon. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and the vinegar. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and stir gently. Let sit another few minutes, then adjust the salt, vinegar, and oil to taste.
For the garnish:
Combine the mint, jalapeno, capers, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Add oil until a salsa consistency. Serve, spooned over the individually-portioned soup.
Recipe courtesy of Purple Kale Kitchenworks www.purplekale.com. Copyright, Purple Kale Kitchenworks, 2013
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