I have no idea what this fruit is! It came in the CSA box and was simply called, “melon.” One of the melons has a soft white flesh that is ridiculously juicy. The larger melon in the back is more like a crispy cantaloupe and both are very sweet. Since they’re so sweet and juicy, I am going to pretend like I am still living in Ecuador and juice them!
The first few weeks that I lived in Ecuador I would be greeted at the breakfast table by a pitcher of brightly colored juice that I could not always identify by taste. It was then that I learned about tomate de arbol, tamarindo, and maracuya. Every household with electricity has a blender where these fruits or others like papaya, cantaloupe, pineapple and watermelon were blended along with a little sugar. Some of the fruits like orange, lemon, lime and grapefruit were of course squeezed.
This juice recipe includes the fruit of three melons and three cukes. After peeling the fruits and removing the seeds, I ran the blender until the fruit was very fine, and then pressed it through a sieve. It’s a fairly thick juice, so if you prefer a little more liquid, add about two cups of water and mix it together. I also did not add sugar, as the melons were very sweet on their own.
I can close my eyes while I sip this juice and travel back to Ecuador 1991! Isn’t it amazing how food causes time travel?
Vegetarian Perspective 