5 recipes to make now to get the most out of sweet California cantaloupes

If you think cantaloupes are just for making melon balls, think again.

Local chefs, home cooks and California farmers are working to elevate the lowly cantaloupe from a fruit that’s eaten only occasionally to one that’s an ingredient in elegant dinners, tasty appetizers or a delicious cocktail.

Yes, it’s time to rethink the cantaloupe.

McKinzie Klein, executive chef at Max’s Bistro, says the Valley’s seasonal fruits, including cantaloupe, are a nice complement for fish sauces. She makes a vinaigrette using cantaloupe purée, herbs and apple cider vinegar.

“It stands up really well to a halibut or shrimp,” Klein says.

Klein, who took over Max’s kitchen this year, also works cantaloupe into a savory risotto with mascarpone cheese. She says the savory elements help tone down the sweetness of the cantaloupe so you taste more of the flavor of the fruit.

“You can get really creative with it,” Klein says.

She hopes her dish is creative enough to win the California Cantaloupe Advisory Board’s recipe contest. Klein’s cantaloupe dishes are paired with a 45-day aged Brandt Ranch New York steak.

The recipe contest is part of an industry effort to remind consumers that it’s California cantaloupe season and to celebrate California Cantaloupe Week during the week of July 25-31.

Also participating in the recipe contest are Harris Ranch Inn and Restaurant in Coalinga, The Vineyard Restaurant and Bar in Madera and Trelio in Clovis.

“I love it when I go into a restaurant and they have a unique recipe that includes cantaloupe,” said Steve Patricio, president of Westside Produce, a Firebaugh melon packer and shipper. “To keep our industry thriving we need to think of cantaloupe in lots of different ways.”

Patricio’s Westside Produce is one of several large-scale melon packers in west Fresno County, the state’s largest cantaloupe growing region. Other regions include Stanislaus, Imperial, San Diego and Riverside counties. In all, California farmers produce 75 percent of the nation’s cantaloupe supply.

Patricio says that cantaloupes have a history in the county going back more than 100 years. The large, musky-smelling melons thrive in the Valley with its low humidity and high heat.

“We have the ideal climate to grow great-tasting melons,” Patricio said.

Fresno County cantaloupes will be available through October. To select a good cantaloupe, look for one with prominent cream-colored ridges. The stem end of the cantaloupe should also be smooth and well rounded. And another sure sign of a tasty ripe melon is its sweet musky aroma.

Blogger Christina Patricio of Fresno doesn’t have to worry about finding a ripe melon or running out of cantaloupe. She’s married to Blake Patricio, whose family runs Westside Produce. She’s also the author a lifestyle blog, www.thepatricios.com.

“After a couple of months of melons, our household is begging for peaches and grapes,” Christina Patricio says with a laugh. “The truth is, we love cantaloupe and I’ve discovered lots of different ways to eat them.”

Patricio say the sweet taste of melons is a perfect companion for salty meats like prosciutto. She makes simple skewers with cantaloupe, rolled-up prosciutto and mozzarella.

She also loves to use cantaloupe in fruit salads, a caprese salad, and smoothies. She has even tried cantaloupe soup. And who can resist slicing a cantaloupe in half, scooping out the seeds and dropping in a dollop or two of vanilla bean ice cream?

This story was originally published July 26, 2016 at 2:00 PM with the headline "5 recipes to make now to get the most out of sweet California cantaloupes."