Seasonal sensation

With its old-timey goodness, the stuff of backyard barbecues and family reunions, watermelon is one of summer's greatest pleasures.

Far from being stuck in the past, though, watermelons are keeping up with the times. They've proven adaptable to new culinary trends, especially in the interplay of sweet and salty, and have been downsized to be a better fit for smaller families.

South Carolina is a hub of watermelon farming, ranking seventh or eighth nationally, says Martin Eubanks, director of marketing for the S.C. Agriculture Department.

Long known for its melons, including the locally developed Charleston Gray, the state continues to be a leader in new and better varieties.

Over the past 15 years, for example, round seedless types have become the best-selling melons.

"South Carolina was one of the leading states in the early production of seedless. Those varieties continue to improve. Seedless melons are all 'heart,' " says Eubanks.

"Some of my favorites are seeded," he adds. "They're just a little more work."

Also growing in popularity are the so-called personal melons, which are round and weigh 4-7 pounds.

"They're ideal for a family of two, about the size of a cantaloupe," he says. "Personal watermelons opened up a new market for watermelons that we may not have been reaching before."

There are many types of both seeded and seedless watermelons grown commercially in the state. Most fall into these classifications:

--Seedless. Round or oblong, 10-17 pounds, medium thick rind with bright red, yellow or orange flesh.

--Seeded. Oblong, blocky, elongated or round. All sweet type, 21-26 pounds, has a fairly thin rind with bright red flesh. Royal Sweet, 21-28 pounds, has a thick rind with a crisp red flesh. Jubilee/Jubilation, 22-30 pounds, has a fairly thick rind with red flesh. Crimson Sweet (round), 18-25 pounds, has a fairly thick rind with finely textured crimson red flesh.

--Ice Box. Round to slightly oval, 5-12 pounds, rind thickness varies, red.

Charleston Gray, meanwhile, was a large melon that was developed in the 1950s and reached its heyday in the '70s and '80s.

"You can still find those around at times at local markets," says Eubanks. "It's a great eating melon but tended to size a little large," 20-22 pounds to 30 and up.

"Family dynamics have changed," he says. "People don't necessarily want a big melon all the time anymore. What our growers did was shift with those demands."

As for sweetness, some varieties do tend to have a higher "brix" level, or soluble solid sugar content, but most are in the 10-14 percent range.

A number of variables affect sweetness, including water and nutrients, says Eubanks. "The key is picking the melon when it's ready for harvest."

Since consumers aren't in control of harvesting, the age-old question remains: How can you tell if a watermelon is ripe and sweet inside?

"The best way is to cut it," Eubanks says with a laugh.

He does offer some pointers, though.

Look for a dull, not shiny finish, and a pale belly.

"When you pat it, if it has a deep, dull thud, that melon is probably overripe or bruised. It (the sound) should have a resonance."

South Carolina's watermelons have been "good, very good" this year, says Eubanks.

While it may seem the state has been getting too much rain, he says that's not the case.

"When you look at the historical data, we're probably on average ... more of a normal pattern."

In the kitchen

Danielle Wecksler, who oversees Charleston Cooks! for Maverick Southern Kitchens, came up with a grilled watermelon and scallop salad about a year ago that's turned into a staff favorite.

"I love throwing any kind of fruit on the grill in summer and that's how it came to me one day. Well, you've done pineapples before, why can't you do something like watermelon or honeydew even? It just turned out really nice."

The fruit and seafood may sound like an unusual pairing, but Wecksler says it works.

"The scallops actually play off the sweetness of the watermelon. It's a real balanced dish."

The scallops have a sweetness, too, but they add a creamy element to the dish, she explains.

"And they're not too overpowering. You can't have a really strong fish, obviously, to go with the watermelon."

The watermelon not only picks up a smoky flavor from the grill, its sugars start to caramelize.

"You want to get the grill really hot," she says, and cook the watermelon 30 seconds to a minute on each side, no longer.

"Otherwise it will fall apart on you. You'll see grill marks on the watermelon in that quick a time."

After removing the watermelon from the grill, she lets it sit in a sheet pan for a few minutes. "Whatever residual juices I have in the pan I just pour into the vinaigrette."

Grilled Watermelon and Scallop Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

For vinaigrette:

1 small shallot, finely diced

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon mustard

1 teaspoon honey

Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

For herb oil:

1 cup assorted herbs, such as basil, parsley, chives or thyme

1/4 cup canola oil

1/8 cup olive oil

Directions

Blanch the herbs in boiling water for about 20 seconds and then plunge into ice water. Using paper towels, dry herbs as much as possible.

Combine the herbs and the canola oil in a blender and puree for about 2 minutes. Add the olive oil and puree again for about 1 minute.

Ingredients

For salad:

1 medium seedless watermelon

8 jumbo scallops, cleaned and patted dry

2 cups baby arugula

1/2 cup blue or goat cheese

Canola oil

Fleur de sel salt

Directions

Preheat a grill or pan on high heat.

Cut the watermelon into triangles 1 to 2 inches thick and about 3 inches long, leaving rind on or off as preferred. Lightly coat each slice with a little canola oil, and season with salt, pepper and sugar.

Lightly coat each scallop with a little canola oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Grill the watermelon slices until grill marks start to appear and the slice softens, but is not falling apart.

Grill the scallops on both sides until they are lightly golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side.

Toss the arugula with a little of the vinaigrette. Mix in the cheese and season with a cracked pepper.

To assemble the salad, place a small bunch of the arugula mixture (about 1/2 cup) on the plate. Top with a grilled watermelon triangle and place 2 scallops to the side. Drizzle the herb oil over the plate, and sprinkle with a few grains of fleur de sel salt. (Alternatively, place one of the watermelon triangles on the plate. Top with arugula and place scallops on top. Drizzle with herb oil and sprinkle the salt.)

Watermelon Maverick Mojito

Watermelon cocktails also have been trendy for the past few years. Maverick Southern Kitchens, which includes Slightly North of Broad, High Cotton, Old Village Post House and High Hammock (Pawleys Island) restaurants, offers this recipe from its repertoire.

Beverage director Patrick Emerson notes that the addition of bitters and lemon juice comes from the classic Hemingway version of the mojito, making the drink distinctive from what is typically served.

Ingredients

1 slice fresh watermelon (no rind)

3 fresh mint leaves

Juice of 1 lime wedge

Juice of 1 lemon wedge

1/2 ounce mint simple syrup

2 drops Angostura bitters

1 1/2 ounces Sea Island Carolina Gold Rum (see note)

Dash of soda

Mint sprigs, for garnish

Note: Sea Island Carolina Gold Rum is a new product from Firefly Distillery on Wadmalaw Island.

Put watermelon slice, mint leaves, lemon and lime juice, mint syrup and bitters in a shaker. Muddle well. Add rum and ice to the shaker and shake hard. Strain over ice in a Collins glass, add a dash of soda and garnish with a mint sprig.

Tomato, Watermelon, and Basil Skewers

6-8 servings

Ingredients

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

1 (4- to 5-pound) seedless watermelon

60 small basil leaves (or torn larger leaves)

16 cherry tomatoes, halved

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Coarse or kosher salt

Special equipment: 16 wooden skewers 6 inches long

Directions

Combine the balsamic vinegar and sugar in a small nonreactive saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Cut the top and bottom off the watermelon, then make 4 straight cuts down the sides so you have a cube of rindless watermelon. Cut the cube into 1 1/2-inch slices, then cut the slices into 1 1/2-inch cubes. Assemble the skewers by pushing a basil leaf to the end of one skewer. Then skewer a cube of watermelon, then a tomato half. Continue with another watermelon cube, basil leaf, and tomato half, ending with a basil leaf. Repeat to make 15 more skewers.

Drizzle the skewers with the reserved balsamic syrup and the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt. Serve.

— Adapted from "Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites" (Clarkson Potter, 2008)

Watermelon Pops

What do you do when you have leftover watermelon? Make these delicious pops to keep in the freezer for when you need a sweet treat.

Ingredients

1/8 large watermelon

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon sugar or honey

Directions

Cut flesh from watermelon rind and remove seeds. Blend flesh until liquid (you should have approximately 4 cups of liquid). Stir in lemon juice and sugar.

Pour into 5-fluid-ounce paper cups, leaving space at the top so they don't overflow. Stick a wooden popsicle stick into each cup. Freeze for several hours. To eat, just peel off paper cup.

— Adapted from weightwatchers.com

Good for you

--A 2-cup serving of watermelon contains 80 calories and is fat-free.

--Watermelon is naturally high in vitamins A, B6, and C, is a good source of potassium and is very low in sodium. Watermelon is certified as a heart-healthy food by the American Heart Association.

--Watermelon is a leader in lycopene, which makes the flesh red. Lycopene is an antioxidant that may help reduce the risk of certain types of cancers. On average, watermelon has about 40 percent more lycopene than raw tomatoes.

Celebrating watermelon

The annual Pageland Watermelon Festival is Friday-Saturday in Pageland, a historic community in northeast South Carolina near the North Carolina border. The festival includes a watermelon-themed parade down Main Street; local beauty queens competing for the title of Watermelon World Queen; a variety of food vendors; nightly music concerts, including beach, country and Southern gospel; amusement rides; a car show; and rodeo. Open 3 p.m.-midnight Friday and 9 a.m.-midnight Saturday. Free, but fees charged for amusement rides, rodeo, beauty pageant concerts and dances. Visit www.pagelandwatermelonfestival.com.

A few facts

--The first recorded watermelon harvest occurred nearly 5,000 years ago in Egypt.

--More than 1,200 varieties of watermelons are grown worldwide in 96 countries.

--Watermelon is 92 percent water.

--Watermelon belongs to the botanical family Cucurbitaceae and is cousin to cucumbers, pumpkins and squash.

--By weight, watermelon is the most-consumed melon in the U.S., followed by cantaloupe and honeydew.

--Early explorers used watermelons as canteens.

--Bill Carson of Arrington, Tenn., holds the Guinness World Record for growing the largest watermelon, a whopping 262 pounds.

Teresa Taylor is the food editor. Reach her at food@postandcourier.com or 937-4886.