LaSalle Power Co.’s cucumber watermelon salad (Photo by Adrian Nastase).
What it is: The sweet and juicy fruit of a vine, Citrullus lanatus, watermelon is related to cucumbers and squash. Botanically, it’s considered a “pepo,” or false berry.
Traditionally large, green-skinned and red- or pink-fleshed with plentiful black seeds, there are today seedless and white-, yellow- and orange-fleshed watermelons and all kinds of sizes. In my opinion, the big, old-fashioned varieties have the best flavor, but there’s no denying the convenience of newer icebox and seedless types. There’s even a mini-watermelon, the PureHeart, a hybrid the size of a canteloupe.
Where it comes from: Watermelon dates back millennia. Ancient Egyptians recorded its harvest nearly 5,000 years ago. Experts believe it originated in Africa, and the fruit likely came to the Americas with African slaves. The first cookbook published in the United States, Amelia Simmons’ “American Cookery” (1796), contains a watermelon recipe — not for the typical uses of today, but for “American citron,” pickles made from the watermelon rind.
Today, Florida, Texas, California, Georgia and Arizona are the biggest producers of U.S. watermelons. Indiana, the only appreciable Midwest producer, ranks next, growing less than half the output of the hotter states, mostly alongside a 50-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 41 in Knox County on the Illinois border, roughly 300 miles south of Chicago .
Domestic watermelon season runs from April through November, peaking in July and August, but this year’s cool spring delayed planting in many areas, so you can still find good melons now. Imports from Mexico and Central America make the fruit available year-round.
What to do with it: Choose firm, symmetrical watermelons heavy for their size and free from bruises, cuts or dents. Look for a dull (not glossy) green rind with widely spaced stripes and a creamy yellow spot on the bottom, a sign that it sat on the ground until sun-ripened.
Cary Taylor
While most people eat watermelon as is, or perhaps mix it into a fruit salad or smoothie, the fruit is much more versatile. Watermelon can be used in a wide variety of savory dishes. All parts are edible — you can pickle the rinds and toast the seeds. It can even be made into wine. As Enrico Caruso famously observed, “It’s a good fruit. You eat, you drink, you wash your face.”
Learn more: Green City Market’s Melon Fest, 9 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16, in Lincoln Park, features melon cooking demos from chefs Mark Mendez of Carnivale in River West, Chris Pandel of Bristol in Bucktown and Cary Taylor of Chaise Lounge in Wicker Park as well as virgin melon drinks from the mixologists of Nacional 27, Sepia, 312 Chicago and The Violet Hour.
LaSalle Power Co.’s cucumber watermelon salad
with chili lime vinaigrette
“A great combination of sweet and savory flavors, between the feta, paprika, watermelon and cucumbers,” says Daniel Alonso, one of the photo-shy principals behind LaSalle Power Co. in River North, which uses watermelon in this zesty salad.
10 slices watermelon, about 1 ounce each
9 slices seedless cucumber, about 1 ounce each
3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1 ounce fresh mint leaves, cut in slivers
1 ounce radicchio or red cabbage, cut in slivers
3 ounces chili lime vinaigrette (recipe follows)
Ground red pepper to taste
Alternately overlap the slices of watermelon and cucumber on a platter. Top evenly with the cheese, mint and radicchio. Drizzle the dressing over the top and sprinkle with ground red pepper. 1 to 2 servings.
Chili lime vinaigrette
1-1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup champagne vinegar
1/2 cup lime juice
Zest of 1/2 lemon, finely grated
1-1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
Combine all ingredients in a large jar and shake well until combined. Refrigerate until serving time, and shake again before using. Makes 4 cups.
