Cucamelon, mouse melon, Mexican sour gherkin - growing and eating exotic mini cucumbers
It's been a glorious late summer, so much so, I have been absent from these pages and busy stocking up on my vitamin D out in the garden. August has seen a bounty of courgettes, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuces, chillies, herbs and as a late last minute burst literally hundreds of the tiny cucamelon! These pretty looking fruits look like tiny watermelons but are actually a type of cucumber native to Mexico and central America. We know them as cucamelons (Melothria scabra) in the UK but elsewhere they are called mouse melons, Mexican sour gherkin or Sandiita (meaning small watermelon).
Slugs, snails and greenfly all ignored it and it coped very well with my sporadic watering. I first tried growing these in 2015, with no success, and didn't hold out much hope this year as my one plant succumbed to mould. Deciding it probably needed some fresh air I left it outside by the back door only to be taken by surprise as it rampantly covered the tomatoes in a matter of weeks followed by an enormous supply of the tiny cucumbers. They are quite sharp in flavour and full of seeds but are very pretty. They also keep pretty well too, I picked bowls daily and left them out of the fridge with no problems. Just as well is has been the weather for salads, as these add a wonderful crunch to this rainbow slaw we've been making most weekends.
Rainbow Slaw - serves 2 with plenty leftover for another meal
1/4 red cabbage, shredded
handful of radishes, sliced lengthways
1 carrot, grated
3-4 spring onions, cut into thin strips
large handful of cucamelons, halved (or a normal cucumber, sliced)
3-4 very small courgettes, sliced
1 red chilli, sliced
large handful of fresh coriander, chopped
1/2 lime
1 tbsp tamari
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp chilli sauce
Prepare the vegetables and mix in a large bowl. I leave the seeds in the chilli because I like the heat (mixed in the salad it is less fierce anyway) but leave it out if you prefer. I try to vary the chopping to provide a little textural difference, we eat with our eyes first. Squeeze the lime juice into an old jam jar and add the tamari, oil and chilli sauce. Either shake or whisk and add to the salad just before serving. This is a filling salad which we've been eating with grilled steak or roast sweet potato wedges. Leftovers have been fab in a grilled cheese sandwich or just on its own.
Slugs, snails and greenfly all ignored it and it coped very well with my sporadic watering. I first tried growing these in 2015, with no success, and didn't hold out much hope this year as my one plant succumbed to mould. Deciding it probably needed some fresh air I left it outside by the back door only to be taken by surprise as it rampantly covered the tomatoes in a matter of weeks followed by an enormous supply of the tiny cucumbers. They are quite sharp in flavour and full of seeds but are very pretty. They also keep pretty well too, I picked bowls daily and left them out of the fridge with no problems. Just as well is has been the weather for salads, as these add a wonderful crunch to this rainbow slaw we've been making most weekends.
Rainbow Slaw - serves 2 with plenty leftover for another meal
1/4 red cabbage, shredded
handful of radishes, sliced lengthways
1 carrot, grated
3-4 spring onions, cut into thin strips
large handful of cucamelons, halved (or a normal cucumber, sliced)
3-4 very small courgettes, sliced
1 red chilli, sliced
large handful of fresh coriander, chopped
1/2 lime
1 tbsp tamari
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp chilli sauce
Prepare the vegetables and mix in a large bowl. I leave the seeds in the chilli because I like the heat (mixed in the salad it is less fierce anyway) but leave it out if you prefer. I try to vary the chopping to provide a little textural difference, we eat with our eyes first. Squeeze the lime juice into an old jam jar and add the tamari, oil and chilli sauce. Either shake or whisk and add to the salad just before serving. This is a filling salad which we've been eating with grilled steak or roast sweet potato wedges. Leftovers have been fab in a grilled cheese sandwich or just on its own.
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