There are few things that taste more like summer than watermelon. I still see such a vivid picture in my mind of my mother's first homegrown watermelon. She stood so proud, holding the melon by the end of the vine, like it was a prize that she'd won. Deciding whether it made a "thump" or a "thud" would make or break what seemed like the longest wait on earth for a slice of juicy watermelon.
These days, we've had a feast of watermelon with almost every meal - perfectly accommodated by natures rhythm to give something so juicy during this heat. Isn't that amazing? Our needs can always been met by what the soil gives us. I can still feel the sun in my skin long after I come inside and begin to cook dinner, so I look for something to deeply cool me from within.
Like my mother's precious watermelon, my prize grows on our fig tree. Each morning we check on the ripeness of the largest fruits that still hang from the branches. We enjoy the slow harvest that gives just a fig or two a day, the perfect slightly sweet snack.
"Give a kiss to the figs that aren't ripe yet", I tell Dane as I water the tree. I know those kisses make the figs taste even sweeter.
WATERMELON & FIG GRANITA
You will need:
5-6 cups of cubed watermelon (approx 1" cubes)
1 lime, juiced
1-2 tbsp honey
2-3 figs, skinned
Put all ingredients in a blender until pureed and frothy. Pour the liquid into a 10" x 10" metal pan and place in the freezer. After one hour, run over the ice with a fork, scraping it into small pieces. Repeat after another hour or two until ice is light and fluffy. Cover with wrap and keep in the freezer until ready to serve.
Serves 4
Megan Martin is the author of Fig & Fauna, a blog about farm inspired cooking and agrarian living. She lives on a small farm in South Florida, where she raises animals and grows a vegetable garden. Megan and her husband own and operate Onblonde Pet Spa of Palm Beach.