Thirsty Thursday: Cool Down

Summer is flying by at an alarming rate. It's hot and humid, and often all I want at the end of a long day is a cool and refreshing drink. Luckily, summer is full of juice-dribbling-down-your-chin goodness to combat the heat of the day.

This weekend I came across some exciting new fruits to play with this summer. The Delice de la Table, or Delight of the Table, is a French heirloom variety of cantaloup melon. It dates back to the 19th century and is a rare find in the U.S. 

 

It is the resurfacing of such interesting agrobiodiversity that really differentiates a farmers market from a grocery store. Most people seem contented with a narrow range of apples, bananas, and oranges, perhaps with a melon thrown in during the summer. But there is such a wide world of  flavor profiles, shapes, and sizes within the world of fruits and vegetables, that is seems such a pity to limit ourselves (check out farmer E. on NPR's heirloom tomato segment). One of the beauties of trying locally-grown heritage varieties is that you are branching out beyond the realm of mass-produced, grocery industry, to something akin to purchasing a handmade piece of jewelry. So enjoy the fruits of summer, and try going out on a limb to try something new.

Summer Melon Cooler

1/2 small cantaloup (or other melon variety you might find at market)

1 very ripe peach or nectarine

1/2 cup sparkly water

1 tsp agave nectar (optional)

1 tsp grated fresh ginger (optional)

1 splash lemon juice (optional)

1. Blend all ingredients together until it reaches the desired consistency.

Find more tasty and healthy summer treats on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays and Wellness Weekends.

On another note, for the next couple of months the blog will be in low production mode. I am attempting to study for the GRE and start working on graduate school applications, and need slightly fewer enticing distractions. Look for at least one post per week, and hopefully we will return to normalcy come fall.