LATE SUMMER FRUITS

 

Late summer fruits--melon, mangoes, pears and grapes.

Oferta! Special offer: melons for 59 centimos per kilo (about 30 cents a pound). I bought three of those big, green piel de sapo melons. This Spanish variety (the name means “toad skin”) is the perfect combination of crisp, juicy and sweet. 

Springtime’s berries and the stone fruits of mid-summer are still in the markets, but pricey. Winter’s citrus isn’t here yet. Filling in the late-summer gap are the end of the melons and figs, the peak of the pears and grapes and the first of the (local) mangoes.  Sounds like fruit salad to me! 

One of the three “bargain” melons I bought was not especially sweet—a sure sign of the season drawing to an end. I used it to make two savory dishes—pickled melons and melon gazpacho.

Fruits of the season--mango, melon, grapes, figs and pears. Sugar not needed but a dribble of muscatel wine or liqueur is nice. Cream? Dollop of yogurt?

Melon gazpacho gets its color from a bit of tomato plus pimentón.

This melon is called piel de sapo--toad skin--for its rough, green skin. The flesh is pale yellow.

Pickled melon is terrific!

Grape and cheese salad with fennel for crunch.

Melon Gazpacho

Gazpacho de Melón

Chopped serrano ham garnishes the melon gazpacho.

Any melon can be substituted for the Spanish piel de sapo variety. Honeydew might be a good choice.

Use melon and tomatoes in any combination to make about 2 pounds (about 5 cups) of chopped fruit-vegetable combo. If the melon is especially sweet, add enough vinegar to balance the sweetness. Sherry vinegar is more acidic than ordinary wine vinegar, but it adds a pleasing mellow flavor. 

Ham with melon is a cliché, but it’s such a great combination that ham seems the perfect garnish for this gazpacho. Use chopped or sliced serrano or ibérico.

Serves 4-6.

Chopped Melon (about 1 ½ pounds)

Tomatoes, peeled and chopped 

1 slice slightly stale bread, torn into pieces

1/3 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper

¼ teaspoon sweet pimentón (paprika)

¼ teaspoon hot pimentón or a pinch of cayenne

Grated lemon zest

¼ teaspoon grated ginger

½ teaspoon (or to taste) salt

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon (or to taste) Sherry vinegar

Water to thin the soup

Chopped cured ham, to serve

Put the melon and tomatoes in a blender with the bread. Let stand until the bread is slightly softened. Then blend until pureed. Add the onion, red pepper, two kinds of pimentón, lemon zest, ginger and salt and blend again until smooth. Blend in the oil and vinegar. Thin the soup with water (about ¼ cup). 

Chill the soup.

Serve the soup garnished with chopped ham.

Melon Pickles

Melón Encurtido

Cubes of chicken with spicy pickled melon.

Peel bell pepper.

Chopped melon

Thinly sliced onion

Salt

Slivered red bell pepper

Red pepper flakes

Rice or white wine vinegar

Sugar, to taste

Place the chopped melon and onion in a bowl and sprinkle generously with salt. Cover and refrigerate up to 8 hours.

Drain the melon and onions. Rinse them in cold water and allow to drain well. Place in a bowl and add the bell pepper, red pepper flakes and rice vinegar or wine vinegar. Taste and add just enough sugar to balance the vinegar. 

Allow the pickles to marinate at least one hour. They keep, covered and refrigerated, up to a week. 

Grape and Cheese Salad

Ensalada de Uvas con Queso

This salad was inspired by a Spanish saying, “Uvas y queso saben de beso.” “Grapes and cheese taste like a kiss.” A little sweet, a little breathy, a perfect combination. Use seedless grapes, if you’ve got them. Otherwise, halve the grapes and nip out the pips. 

Fennel flowers with pollen.

    I’ve added raw fennel for crunch and complementary flavor. (Celery would be a good substitute.) And, another late summer ingredient—fennel pollen. I dusted the salad with the pollen from wild fennel flowers. If not available, use a few fennel seeds, lightly crushed.  

    I used a cured mixed-milk cheese (cow, goat and sheep). Manchego (sheep’s milk) would be even better. Different, but equally good are fresh cheeses such as queso fresco, feta or mozzarella. 

¾ pound grapes, seeded (about 2 cups)

1 cup chopped fennel

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

4 ounces diced cheese (about 1 cup)

For the dressing:

1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot

½ teaspoon mustard

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon Sherry vinegar

½ teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Fennel pollen or fennel seeds

Salad greens

Toasted almonds or pumpkin seeds (optional)

Combine the grapes and fennel in a bowl. Add the lemon juice. Add the cheese.

For the dressing, combine the shallot, mustard and vinegar in a small bowl. Whisk in the oil until the dressing is emulsified. Season with salt and pepper and fennel pollen or a few seeds. 

Stir the dressing into the grapes and cheese. (If made in advance, cover and refrigerate the salad until ready to serve.)

Arrange salad greens on individual plates and spoon the grape and cheese salad on them. Sprinkle with a few toasted almonds or pumpkin seeds, if desired.

Grapes and cheese taste like a kiss. The salad also has crunchy raw fennel, fennel pollen and pumpkin seeds.

More recipes for late summer fruits:

Salmon with Cava Sauce and Grapes.

Green Bean Salad with Grapes.

Chicken Braised in Spiced Grape Juice.

Ham With Melon.

Melon-Yogurt Soup.

Turkey and Melon Salad.

Duck with Pears.

Pear Cake with Olive Oil.

Pear and Fennel Salad.

Pear Gazpacho.

Pears in Málaga Wine.

Pears in Cava with Fresh Cheese.

Cheese Custard Tart with Pears.

Pork Chops with Mango.

Mango Chutney.

Mango-Tomato Gazpacho Cream.

Rosé Sangría with Mango.