50 Best Plants on the Planet (62 page)

Over the past few years, seedless watermelon varieties have become commonplace. Whether they are red fleshed or yellow fleshed, their hard “spit-out” seeds have disappeared for the most part, replaced with seeds that aren't developed. They are small, soft, empty white “pips.” A pip is the portion that surrounds the seeds in seeded varieties.

The lack of seeds in a watermelon makes the flesh firmer and helps it to stay fresh longer, whether left whole or cut and refrigerated. As for
30
-pound humongous watermelons, mini-melons have taken a growing share of the market over the last several years.

Baby melons average about
5
pounds, and a hungry watermelon devotee might cut one in half and devour the entire half section. Whole, they are a lot easier to fit in the fridge.

Delectable in cold soups and salads, beverages and desserts, these tasty melons have several nutritional advantages.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

(per
1
cup raw, cut into small balls)

calories
46

fat calories (g)
2

total fat (g)
0

sat fat (g)
0

cholesterol (mg)
0

sodium (mg)
2

total carbohydrates (g)
12

fiber (g)
1

sugars (g)
10

protein (g)
1

vitamin A IUs
18
%

vitamin C
21
%

calcium
1
%

iron
2
%

While other fruits such as guava and oranges provide abundant vitamin C for immunity and skin health, watermelon is a low-acid source of the vitamin. Just
1
cup has more than one-fifth of your daily C in fewer than
50
calories.

Watermelon scores well with vitamin A; it has almost one-fifth of your daily needs for that strong antioxidant vitamin. Watermelon has B vitamins and the minerals magnesium and potassium, too. All are needed for building and facilitating the actions of the enzymes that run the body's complicated machinery.

The red color in some varieties points to an abundance of the carotenoid lycopene. Although associated most often with its ability to help protect against prostate cancer, lycopene also benefits women, having demonstrated protective propensities against cancer of the breast and endometrium.

Year-round, but yellow flesh is difficult to find in late fall and winter.

For cut watermelons, they should look moist and fragrant, without flesh that has pulled away from the seeds. For whole melons, they should feel heavy for their size. If it is large, look for an area on the melon that is creamy yellow—the spot where it rested on the ground as it matured; that can be a sign of ripeness. Avoid those with cracks or soft spots. Store melons at room temperature out of direct sunlight for up to
1
week or refrigerate them whole up to
2
weeks. Or cut and refrigerate in an airtight container, up to
3
days.

Remove the rind and cut the melon into slices, wedges, or balls. The easiest way to remove the rind from a whole watermelon: Cut off a small slice at top and bottom (blossom and root ends), then cut the melon in half through the equator. Place the cut-side (equator) down on a cutting board and cut off the rind in strips from top to bottom, following the contours of the melon. If desired, cut-up and peeled watermelon can be frozen, airtight, up to
3
months.

Toast
¼
cup slivered almonds until lightly browned; let them cool. Combine
8
ounces vanilla yogurt with
½
teaspoon vanilla extract and a pinch of ground nutmeg. Divide
2
cups seedless watermelon cubes between four small bowls. Top with the yogurt and almonds and serve.

In a blender, purée
¼
cup raspberries,
¼
cup seedless watermelon cubes, and enough chunks of peeled and pitted white peaches to make about
½
cup. Strain. Place a generous spoonful of strained fruit purée in champagne glasses and top with cold Chardonnay. Stir and serve.

Toss bite-size chunks of watermelon with mixed baby greens. Top with a simple vinaigrette and toss.

Full of crunchy, clean flavors, this salad is a taste bud wakeup call, offering a lovely balance of sweet, tart, and bitter. To make it a main course, add a handful of baby spinach to the mix and top each serving with grilled shrimp or slivers of roast chicken. A small cluster of seedless grapes, placed on the plate next to the salad, makes a beautiful garnish.

Yields
6
servings

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

(per serving)

calories
120

fat calories
80

total fat (g)
9

sat fat (g)
3.5

cholesterol (mg)
15

sodium (mg)
410

total carbohydrates (g)
9

fiber (g)
1

sugars (g)
8

protein (g)
4

vitamin A IUs
15
%

vitamin C
10
%

calcium
10
%

iron
4
%

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Coarse salt (kosher or sea)

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 ounces crumbled feta cheese

½
small red onion, cut into thin slivers

1 Persian or Japanese cucumber, unpeeled, thinly sliced

4 cups baby arugula

3 cups chilled
¾
-inch watermelon cubes, preferably seedless

1.
In a small bowl or glass measuring cup with a handle combine vinegar, salt, and pepper. Whisk to dissolve salt. Whisk in oil in a thin stream. Add the feta and onion; toss and set aside.

2
.
In a large bowl, toss together the cucumber and arugula. Add the dressing and toss. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Add the watermelon and gently toss. Divide among six plates and serve.

Agua fresca
, which translates from Spanish as “fresh water,” is a refreshing beverage made most often from fresh fruit, water, and some kind of sweetener. Instead of fruit, some Mexican agua frescas showcase hibiscus or a combination of rice and cinnamon. Here the star is fresh watermelon, cut into chunks and puréed in a food processor with water. Agave syrup and fresh lemon juice add perfect balance to this refreshing drink.

Yields
5
servings

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

(per serving)

calories
45

fat calories
0

total fat (g)
0

sat fat (g)
0

cholesterol (mg)
0

sodium (mg)
5

total carbohydrates (g)
15

fiber (g)
1

sugars (g)
14

protein (g)
1

vitamin A IUs
10
%

vitamin C
20
%

calcium
2
%

iron
2
%

5 cups 1-inch watermelon cubes

1 teaspoon agave syrup, or more as needed

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or more as needed

Ice, preferably crushed

GARNISH
5 sprigs fresh mint; 5 thin lemon slices

1
.
Place a medium-mesh sieve over a medium bowl; if you have a batter bowl with a spout and handle, it is handy for this.

2
.
Put
1
cup of the watermelon and
⅓
cup water in a food processer or blender. Pulse until the melon is puréed. Strain it in the sieve. Repeat, using another
1
cup melon and
⅓
cup water, until all the melon is used and strained. Discard the solids from the sieve.

3
.
Add the syrup and lemon juice to the watermelon juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more syrup or lemon juice, or additional water.

4
.
Fill five glasses with ice. Stir the mixture and pour it into the glasses. Garnish each glass with a sprig of mint and a lemon slice.

Served while still warm, these thick slices of watermelon soak up a little white balsamic vinegar before they sizzle on the grill. Use them as a side dish for grilled meat or tofu, topping them with a little cheese and baby arugula to give them additional personality.

Yields
8
servings

NUTRITION INFORMATION

(per serving, without cheese and arugula)

calories
110

fat calories
15

total fat (g)
1.5

sat fat (g)
0

cholesterol (mg)
0

sodium (mg)
100

total carbohydrates (g)
25

fiber (g)
1

sugars (g)
21

protein (g)
2

vitamin A IUs
35
%

vitamin C
40
%

calcium
4
%

iron
4
%

1 large, ripe seedless watermelon

½
cup white balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons sugar

Vegetable oil or canola oil for brushing on grate

Coarse salt (kosher or sea)

Freshly ground black pepper

OPTIONAL
½
cup crumbled feta cheese or shaved ricotta salata; 1 cup baby arugula

1
.
Cut two
1
½
-inch-thick crosswise slices from the middle section of the watermelon. Cut each slice into quarters. Marinate the quarters in the vinegar in a nonreactive baking dish for 1 hour, turning them after
30
minutes.

2
.
Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill, or preheat a gas grill to high. Sprinkle one side of the watermelon quarters with the sugar. Brush the heated grill grates with oil. Place the watermelon sugared-side down on the grill. Cook for about
3
minutes, until the melon has grill marks and becomes caramelized. Turn and grill the opposite sides for
30
seconds.

3
.
Place the watermelon on a large platter, turning so the sides with the grill marks are facing up. Season it with salt and pepper. If using, sprinkle the cheese and arugula on top.

The index entries below are as they appeared in the print version of the book and are included here for your reference. Please use the search function on your eReader to search for terms of interest.

A

Agua fresca

cactus pear

Watermelon Agua Fresca

Allergies