John Myers
In August, melons, figs, and grapes come to the table. All of them go wonderfully with spicy cheese or full-bodied ham: whether in a green salad, as a snack in the party buffet, or as a stomach opener on a menu.
Grapes – royal fruit
The image of the Roman emperor who lets the grapes slide down into his mouth is well known. In fact, in ancient Rome, grapes were considered table fruit and raisins were already being produced back then. Back then, wine was a kind of all-purpose drink, it was heavily diluted and usually drunk with spices. Anyone who drank undiluted wine was considered a drunkard. Then as now, by the way, table grapes are grapes that are not used to make wine. Grape varieties that are used exclusively for wine are called wine grapes.
Incidentally, seedless or seedless grape varieties are being bought more and more frequently. It’s a pity really because the kernels contain valuable active ingredients and dietary fiber. It is not for nothing that grape seed oil is considered extremely healthy. The fruits themselves also contain all sorts of nutritious ingredients, but also plenty of fructose. Figure-conscious people should therefore only use table grapes with caution.
- Grapes to cheese: Grapes and cheese are the dream team of every buffet. Sweet grapes go well with any cheese, whether Gouda, Camembert, Brie, or hard cheese.
- Grapes with ham: A good Black Forest ham goes just as well with grapes as a simply boiled ham. The sweet aroma of the grapes and the hearty taste of ham are particularly effective in combination with nutty lamb’s lettuce.
Figs: Don’t worry
Many only know figs in their dried form. Fresh figs taste less sweet and have a juicy bite. The fruits can be eaten with their firm peel. You can also halve the fig like a kiwi and scoop it out. Figs are very delicate fruits. Always buy them as needed and only store the fruit for a short time and not stacked them in the fridge. Figs are rich in fiber due to their many small seeds. But potassium, calcium, and iron are found in fig.
You should avoid figs in combination with yogurt and quark. Similar to kiwis, an enzyme ensures that the fruit becomes bitter when it comes into contact with dairy products. Short recipe for a quick starter: cut the figs in a cross shape with a knife and fill them with cheese. Then wrap the fruit in ham and heat in the oven until the ham is crispy and the cheese melts.
- Figs with cheese: Figs taste extremely good with various forms of goat’s or sheep’s cheese, whether with goat’s cream cheese, feta, or goat’s gouda. Figs also go well with Camembert. Fig mustard is particularly popular with cheese.
- Figs with ham: Serrano or Parma ham is an ideal accompaniment to figs. A combination of thin strips of ham, figs, and some honey is ideal here. This starter plate can be garnished with a little lemon thyme and grated parmesan.
Melon: Sweet pumpkins
Surprisingly, our seasonal fruit melon belongs to the pumpkin family. Basically, when it comes to melons, a distinction is made between the watermelon and the different types of sugar melons. Watermelons are now available not only with red but also with yellow flesh. However, these varieties only differ in appearance and not in taste – yellow watermelons, however, are juicier.
Sugar melons are essentially aromatic. The best-known and most popular varieties are honey, cantaloupe, net, and Galia melons. Honeydew melons, also known as yellow canary melons, taste very aromatic and sweet and, when ripe, consist of around one-tenth of sugar. Netted melons, which also include the Galia melon, are a little more aromatic than honeydew melons and exude a pleasant scent. Cantaloupe, although related to the cucumber, is the sweetest of the muskmelons.
- Melons with cheese: Feta cheese tastes great with watermelons, especially as a wonderful salad, or a Spanish manchego. A light mozzarella goes well with sugar melons. Serving tip: Make melon balls with a melon baller and arrange them with small mozzarella balls.
- Melons with ham: One of THE classic summer appetizers is sugar melon with raw ham. A touch of pepper spices up this classic combination even further.
