Summer heatwave ....

melons and a cautionary tale

Midsummer and we have a heatwave here in the Fens. I am drinking glasses of chilled cucumber and mint infused water and craving fruit, and melons in particular.

For me, melons are always synonymous with summer holidays in France and the delicious perfume of ripe melons that greets the passer-by as they enter the local epicerie; the dark, cool interior of the shop, a welcome respite from the hot sun coupled with the heady aroma of spices, charcuterie, but above all perfectly sweet and juicy melons. I remember the pride with which the shop owner would select the most perfect melon from the display, according to weight and perfume and hand it carefully over to the waiting customer.

Melons need sunshine and warmth to grow well and as such are particularly suited to cultivation in large areas of France.

I once attempted to grow a melon here in the Fens in the early days on our allotment. But, the vagaries of the British summer meant it was a sad tale which (almost) ended in tears. The melon seedling was an accidental purchase from the local garden centre. I believed I was buying a squash plant. An easy mistake, since both melons and squash are from the same family, though the word Melon, writ large on the label and the corresponding photo should have alerted me!

Having realised my mistake, but with a rush of enthusiasm coupled with beginner’s optimism, I decided it couldn’t be that difficult to grow. Visions of a prolific harvest; of large heavy melons cradled in discarded bras as they grew, and of balmy evenings enjoying luscious slices of homegrown melon in the garden, sprang to mind.

That melon seedling was cosseted like a newborn. I constructed a mini poly tunnel from plastic piping and polythene, only to realise that not only would the seedling not receive any rainwater but the ‘poly tunnel” was too small to be able to reach into it with my watering can. Undeterred, I found a way of lifting the edge of the plastic to water the little plant. And the plant grew. But not much.

A particularly cold June meant my attempts at producing a melon harvest were doomed from the start. And a few weeks later an unseasonable storm with heavy rain and strong winds put paid to the mini polythene tent and left the little plant ravaged beyond any hope of resuscitation.

My dreams of homegrown melons were dashed.

Since then, most of the melons we eat come from the local supermarket, but sadly without the delicious flavour and aroma, not to mention, romance, of those from the French epicerie.

So with a supermarket bought melon on the kitchen table and the weather too hot for any thought of real cooking, I decided on an easy prawn and melon salad for lunch.

I used a 150g pack of cooked prawns ( mine were from Waitrose and in coriander and chilli marinade ) and added a dressing of rice vinegar and olive oil, plus lots of chopped parsley and mint, chunks of melon and cucumber and some rocket. Serve with naan bread and lime wedges.

Thank you for reading. Till next time.

Annie x

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