Community Corner

Watermelon: A Sweet Summer Treat in Red, Yellow and Orange

With watermelon in season, the summer is a great time to experiment with some unique fruity recipes - or just to eat the fleshy fruit plain.

Thunderstorm or not, many vendors remained planted at their stalls at the Riverdale Park Farmers Market Thursday afternoon.

And with the temperatures hitting the mid 90s and the humidity making it feel even hotter, I was looking to enjoy something refreshing.

I had heard a few weeks ago that there was a vendor selling yellow watermelons, and I learned this week that it is Musachio Produce, a 24-acre farm on the Eastern Shore. They sell the regular red variety as well as the more exotic yellow and orange types.

Find out what's happening in Riverdale Park-University Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

John Stark, who distributes the vegetables for owner Michael Musachio, said he has sold produce in Riverdale Park for the past two years.

Musachio Farm offers a variety of vegetables, such as peppers, okra, corn, eggplant, potatoes, tomatillos, tomatoes - including one known as a chocolate tomato - and various small fruits, like blueberries, blackberries and raspberries.

Find out what's happening in Riverdale Park-University Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

They also carry garlic occasionally, and after trying it, I realized it was the best fresh garlic I had ever tasted.

They are now starting to transition into the fall season, when sweet potatoes, broccoli, collards, kale and cauliflower get added to their inventory.

Yet what brought me to Musachio was the watermelon. It's a refreshing fruit, especially during the summer, but I wanted to try the yellow and orange varieties, since I had never tasted them before.

Unfortunately, they didn't have any yellow ones on hand Thursday, so I tried the orange instead. They grew the orange watermelons after local chefs requested a variety of colors for their restaurant dishes.

Although I couldn't taste the yellow watermelon, I was told previously that it is sweeter than the regular variety. The orange watermelon though has the same bright fruit flavor, but it's somehow lighter and not overly sweet like some ripe red watermelon can be. I can see how it is easily made part of a savory or sweet meal. The seeds are smaller, not as black and are edible.

Eating watermelon straight up is quite refreshing, but I wanted to find a way to use the watermelon to show off its color and flavor.

Terri Melvin, who also helps sell Musachio's produce, said the watermelon can be hollowed out and used as a bowl for a watermelon sangria. But for a more family-friendly drink, I decided to make an easy watermelon slushie.

Ingredients:

8 cups of watermelon, cubed
8-10 strawberries
2 cups of orange juice
2 cups of ice

Directions: Blend ingredients together and serve immediately. If you make it ahead of time and put it in the fridge, the drink will separate.

The drink is amazingly refreshing and will help keep the kids cool.

For an adult version, add some Malibu - the coconut liqueur sweetens the concotions a bit more - or try a watermelon agua fresca.

If you're really adventureous and want to make the most of the color of these unique watermelons, try a savory dish like a watermelon salad with feta, for a light, summery salad.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Riverdale Park-University Park