Melon!!

[Casserole]

I have been dreaming about the melon and ham appetizer/meal. Does anyone know what kind of melon it is?

 

[FLEUR]

Probably Charentais melon. When the melons are plentiful in Charente Maritime in France, locals halve the melons, empty out the seeds and fill the hollow with Pineau des charentes a local fortified wine. Delicious!

 

[Casserole]

Probably Charentais melon. When the melons are plentiful in Charente Maritime in France locals halve the melons, empty out the seeds and fill the hollow with Pineau des charentes a local fortified wine. Delicious!

It was green, more like a honeydew (here in the states). But honestly, I'll eat any melon given to me!

 

[FLEUR]

Charentais melons are yellow and sometimes a little more oval than round.

 

[Casserole]

Mystery solved - It is honeydew!

Off to the store!!

 

[trecile]

Honeydew will work, but I think that it's closer to a Casaba melon.

Reviews of Bidwell Casaba Melon | Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

www.rareseeds.com

 

[peregrina2000]

I also adore the Spanish melon. It's not a honeydew, though, at least not the honeydews I have eaten here. I have only seen it once or twice in my local grocery store and it had the name of Santa Claus melon.

 

[Felice]

In the UK, they are known as piel de sapo melons. They have recently become quite commonly available.

 

[Michael-FL]

I have been dreaming about the melon and ham appetizer/meal. Does anyone know what kind of melon it is?

Also very popular in Portugal when we lived there; served with the Portuguese presunto. The nearest equivalent we have in the States is honeydew melon. The contrast of sweet and savory is wonderful!

 

[Priscilla NC]

On my first trip to Spain I spent 10 days on retreat in Montserrat. The cafeteria there served the melon with local sheep's cheese for breakfast. I will always remember that. Refreshing and so delicious!

 

[trecile]

Mystery solved - It is honeydew!

No, @peregrina2000 and @Felice are both correct. It's piel de sapo, aka Santa Claus melon.

Santa Claus melon - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

I also adore the Spanish melon. It's not a honeydew, though, at least not the honeydews I have eaten here. I have only seen it once or twice in my local grocery store and it had the name of Santa Claus melon.

In the UK, they are known as piel de sapo melons. They have recently become quite commonly available.

 

[peregrina2000]

No, @peregrina2000 and @Felice are both correct. It's piel de sapo, aka Santa Claus melon.

View attachment 61325

Santa Claus melon - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

So as between “frog skin melon” and “Santa Claus melon”, which would you rather eat?!

 

[VNwalking]

So as between “frog skin melon” and “Santa Claus melon”, which would you rather eat?!

Neither, says this vegetarian. Besides, Santa Claus is more hype than substance.

 

[E V Waight]

No, @peregrina2000 and @Felice are both correct. It's piel de sapo, aka Santa Claus melon.

View attachment 61325

Santa Claus melon - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

I was told in O'Cebreiro that they are known as melon de sapo or melon de rana. VERY DELISH!!!!

 

[Casserole]

I love the debate this melon has brought! The closest I could find was honeydew. It wasn't as delicious but it curbed my craving.

Thanks for all the melon info!

 

[peregrina2000]

As I sit with my craving for a Spanish melon unabated, i wonder if anyone has any ideas why this melon is not readily available in the US, or at least in my part of the US.

Do any of you get it at home in the US? I will be very jealous.

Buen camino, Laurie

P.s. This is sort of the same feeling I have about conference pears, which I devour on the Camino. They just don’t sell them in my area.

 

[John Gilliland]

As I sit with my craving for a Spanish melon unabated, i wonder if anyone has any ideas why this melon is not readily available in the US, or at least in my part of the US.

Do any of you get it at home in the US? I will be very jealous.

Apparently they are grown in California and Arizona. Here's a link for the seeds on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HRPGVNA/?tag=casaivar02-20

 

[trecile]

As I sit with my craving for a Spanish melon unabated, i wonder if anyone has any ideas why this melon is not readily available in the US, or at least in my part of the US.

Do any of you get it at home in the US? I will be very jealous.

Buen camino, Laurie

P.s. This is sort of the same feeling I have about conference pears, which I devour on the Camino. They just don’t sell them in my area.

I grew up eating this kind of melon in California, and I can buy it almost as easily in Oregon where I live now.

 

[domigee]

Probably Charentais melon. When the melons are plentiful in Charente Maritime in France, locals halve the melons, empty out the seeds and fill the hollow with Pineau des charentes a local fortified wine. Delicious!

My mother used to use port. A wonderful starter

 

[peregrina2000]

I grew up eating this kind of melon in California, and I can buy it almost as easily in Oregon where I live now.

Now tell me you also get conference pears and I will REALLY be jealous.

 

[trecile]

Now tell me you also get conference pears and I will REALLY be jealous.

Despite the fact that Oregon's state fruit is the pear, and the "fruit of the month" mail order company Harry & David is located in my town, I have never heard of a conference pear, though I have seen some that are a similar shape, but I can't remember their name.

 

[trecile]

Despite the fact that Oregon's state fruit is the pear, and the "fruit of the month" mail order company Harry & David is located in my town, I have never heard of a conference pear, though I have seen some that are a similar shape, but I can't remember their name.

Actually, the conference pears look similar to Bosc pears, which we do have here.

 

[peregrina2000]

The Bosc pear is similar and they are available in my fruit desert in the Midwest. The taste is very similar, but kind of like the honey dew to Santa Claus relationship.

 

[domigee]

I always assumed a Conference pear was French.... Not so, according to Google it is British

 

[peregrina2000]

I always assumed a Conference pear was French.... Not so, according to Google it is British

And I don’t know if this is accurate but I was told that it got its name from its resemblance to the old form of telephones (the one bulbous piece you held in your hand) and their function was to make conference calls.

 

[Casserole]

Apparently they are grown in California and Arizona. Here's a link for the seeds on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HRPGVNA/?tag=casaivar02-20

I was going to suggest we start a black market seed exchange when one of us made it back to Spain, but this is much easier. Thanks for the link!

 

[hel&scott]

So as between “frog skin melon” and “Santa Claus melon”, which would you rather eat?!

I was told it was snake skin melon, totally delish and refreshing after a hot day walking. I did manage to get some local seed and grow them in my tunnel house but they weren't as tastey as the Spanish ones, probably need more heat or pig shit.

On the plus side we have Conference, Bosc and Aristocrat pears in our orchard along with a host of perry pears, I carefully store the pears so I can eat them in winter with some local blue cheese and our walnuts, washed down with the pear cider... it's not Spain, but it's tasty.

 

[JLWV]

In Spain the most usual melón eaten with ham is the so called "piel de sapo" (frog skin), but in north of France it used to be the Cantaloup variety (there is a good article about it in the english wikipedia).
Again in Spain, the most similar to the Cantaloup is the Galia variety, but this one is more white while the Cantaloup tends to be more orange than yellow. Fleur and Domingee name addition of sweet wine, this was also right in north of Fance (although not for the children...)

Post-data, in France, northen France, the ham was from the belgian Ardennes.
I speak in past because it will be soon 50 years I let Flanders to Valencia!

 

[Mycroft]

Neither, says this vegetarian. Besides, Santa Claus is more hype than substance.

Hey, VN, I see you are a veg. and going on the Invierno this year. Could you let me know at what places you eat or if you had any trouble finding veg food? Much appreciated.

 

[VNwalking]

Are you vegan, @Mycroft ?
If so it will be a challenge. Otherwise, eggs and cheese are easy to find as alternatives to what is on most menus.

It is harder on the Invierno to find vegetarian food than it is on the Frances, without having to ask for something separate, off-menu. Usually I ordered salad and whatever else the restaurant could make; it was usually tortilla francesca (an omelet, basically). There were one or two exceptions, but it was at times a little monotonous.

Things that stand out in retrospect:
Las Medulas on a Tuesday is a hard place to find anything to eat. Be prepared.
I got a wonderful meal at bar Pepa in A Rua.
In Barxa do Lor, the owners of Pension Pacita were extremely kind, and made a delicious tortilla francesca.
Meson Lucas in Chantada also did a beautiful meal.
The pizza place in Lalin (Casa do Gato) was a very nice change (you get the albergue key there, too...).

By the end of the walk I finally realized the best meals were the ones that came when I said something like, "This looks very nice, but I'm sorry - I'm vegetarian (explaining no meat, fish, seafood, poultry or ham) - What can you make me?" and leaving it up to them. Usually the server would go back to the kitchen and return with something that was an option.

Being polite but clear, as well as humble and appreciative - And allowing the chef to be creative - that attitude went a very long way.

 

[VNwalking]

conference pears

??? Do tell, Laurie. What are these?

 

[K Turner]

I tried this in SJPP this week. Wow! Now to find how to get them in Arizona, because it is delicious!