Whether or not you are a fan of wine, you very well may be a fan of the noble grape. Whether green, red, or blue black, grapes are fun to eat, deliciously juicy, and as sweet a fruit as anyone could wish for. Grapes are one of the oldest cultivated fruits known to man, and hieroglyphic evidence exists that the people of ancient Egypt were growing grapes and making wine.
Some grapes are native to North America, but the Mediterranean region was the first to cultivate grapes, transforming them from small, sour fruits to the juicy globes of sweetness we know and love today. European grapes brought to North America from Europe sparked the consumption of fresh grapes, the making of raisins, and the California wine culture.
Even today, Italy leads the world in the production of table grapes. (Chile is second and California is third.) However, in the United States, 97 percent of the table grapes available come from California. Other states producing grapes include Arizona, Michigan, and New York.
The most popular eating grape in this country is Thompson seedless, a delicious variety of green grape. Because it is seedless, Thompson grapes (and other seedless varieties) make convenient snack foods.
Grapes are available all year, adding to their convenience. They are harvested ripe, so choose any grapes that look plump and fresh, are firmly attached to their stems, and have a healthy bloom (the white powdery cast to fresh grapes).
Green grapes should have a golden cast, and red and blue black grapes should have a deep, even color. Grapes brought to room temperature before serving are the most flavorful. Rinse just before serving.
Grapes (especially the red varieties) are rich sources of flavonoids, the substances in wine suspected to offer so many health benefits
Grapes also contain caffeic, ferulic, and ellagic acids, phenolic acids with strong antioxidant properties that give both grapes and wine their color and flavor as well as the characteristic tartness.
Grapes additionally contain the phytoestro gen resveratrol, a phenolic fungicide that may support a healthy heart. (Peanuts also contain resveratrol.) A small bunch of fresh grapes makes a satisfying conclusion to any meal. Raisins are also great for snacking, in breads, and in recipes where fruit is cooked.
MELONS
A highly perfumed melon evokes ancient times in exotic lands. Watermelon is native to Africa and was first cultivated there; the first recorded watermelon harvesting was nearly five thousand years ago in Egypt, according to the National Watermelon Promotion Board.
Pharaohs stocked watermelons in their tombs, and legend has it that the Roman governor Demosthenes, after ducking half a watermelon that was thrown at him during a political debate, set the watermelon on his head and thanked the thrower for the helmet to wear while fighting Philip of Macedonia.
Watermelons are thought to have grown along the banks of the Nile even before 2000 b.c.e., and cantaloupe seeds brought from Armenia as a gift to the pope were first planted in Cantalupo, Italy-hence their contemporary name.
Melons of all types spread all over the Mediterranean region centuries ago and have been a part of the Mediterranean diet ever since. Whether scooped out of their rinds with a spoon for dessert or cut into small slices and wrapped in strips of prosciutto as an antipasto, melons are a Mediterranean favorite.
While the melons grown in the Mediterranean aren’t widely available in this country (such as the dark green Spanish melon), other melons, such as juicy cantaloupe and honeydew melons, are available during much of the year, although they are in season in late summer through fall. Once only available during the summer when they are in season, watermelons are now also available all year, depending on where you live.
To pick a perfect honeydew or cantaloupe, look for a fruit with a pleasing melony scent at the smooth end. It should yield slightly to pressure at the stem end and be heavy for its size without cracks or spots. Cantaloupe should have a golden netting over light yellow. Honeydew melons should be creamy white or light yellow in color with a slightly oily film on the outer rind.
Melons that stand for a day or two at room temperature will be juicier and more aromatic. Watermelons should also seem heavy for their size and their bottom side should be pale yellow, signifying that the watermelon ripened on the ground. Folklore suggests balancing a broom straw on top of a watermelon to determine ripeness. If the straw rotates slowly, the melon is ripe.
Melons are heavy on nutrition. They contain many vitamins and minerals, as well as fiber. The watermelon’s red color is the result of the powerful antioxidant carotenoid lycopene, that cancer fighter also present in tomatoes and red grapefruit thought to reduce prostate cancer risk and possibly breast cancer risk. Cantaloupe is high in vitamin C and beta-carotene (obvious from its orange color). Honeydew melons are also good sources of vitamin C.
Although melons do not cook well, raw melons make a lovely dessert or even part of the main meal, served in slices, cubes, or balls alongside meat or grain-based dishes. For a truly Mediterranean appetizer, serve slender cantaloupe and honeydew slices wrapped in strips of prosciutto (an admittedly pricey dry-cured Italian ham), or Canadian bacon or thinly sliced ham. All versions are tasty.