Cute as a cucamelon

Not for the first time I found myself the recipient of the bountiful produce of a friend’s green thumbs. “But my, oh my, what are these little treasures? Cucamelon you say? Never heard of, or seen them, in my life!”

This article is probably too late now for avid gardeners for this season, as this easy-to-grow plant needs to be grown from seed in spring for a longish-summer harvest period. And it seems they are a very prolific plant! My friends shared their recipe for a simple but sensational salsa, which I think would be delicious with any rich food such as salmon, or pork. They’ve been enjoying the salsa on grilled sourdough bread as a kind of bruschetta, but equally I think this salsa could be served in those dinky ceramic Japanese spoons as part of antipasto spread.

The cucamelon, I have now learned, is also known as a “mouse melon”, Mexican sour gherkin, and possibly best of all as “sandiita”, which means “little watermelon” in Spanish.

This last descriptor makes perfect sense because they do have the markings of a watermelon, but are the size of a grape! Technically a fruit, the cucamelon (Melothria scabra) is a native plant of Mexico and Central America, where it has been grown and eaten since pre-Columbian times. Taste-wise they are a cross between a cucumber with a somewhat tart or sour note like a lime – very, very refreshing, and addictive I think. You could easily munch on them just as you do a cherry tomato. The plant is drought resistant, and grows as a vine with a leaf similar to an ivy leaf. I think Gavan has had weeks and weeks of harvesting and was possibly quite glad to handball a large quantity to me, complete with their delicious salsa recipe, which I believe was printed on the back of the seed packet!

They are crisp, and although full of seeds, are much firmer to the bite that a cucumber. Some say you can add them to stir fries – but I think I’ll stay with the salsa, and am keen to try pickling some.

To make the cucamelon salsa, simply cut the fruit into small discs approximately 3mm, and combine with some fresh, finely sliced chilli (or chilli flakes), a squeeze of lime juice, a little olive oil, a slurp of maple syrup, some finely diced red onion. You could then boost this into a delicious salad by combining the salsa with the leaves of a bunch of continental parsley. Lately, I’ve also been making some yummy, grainy salads by combining any combination of cooked brown rice, burghal, tiny green lentils (available in tins), freekah – and now I could envisage adding this cucamelon salsa to the lentils for a scrumptious lunch.

But right now I’m heading off to the kitchen to pickle the cucamelons, and will happily return a jar of them to Gavan the gardener to enjoy as an appreciative gift for introducing me to something I’d never seen or eaten before!