On a lazy day at a beachside picnic area recently, two female friends and I enjoyed the company, the sun and a spread of edible and drinkable delights. We had cabaret entertainment too: every few minutes a truck would drive by, impossibly loaded with a tower of hay bales, then return empty soon after to collect the next load. Each time they smiled and waved, gestures we happily returned.
After an hour or two, they drove past with a half load – clearly the hay field down the road was now depleted. They waved more vigorously this time, and shouted a few Greek words, which I roughly interpreted as something about returning soon. We poured more wine and continued our conversation.
Soon after, a tractor approached, bearing, from its front extended claw, hoisted up high, a hay bale. Oh Lord, we thought, they are bringing us a haystack. How do we get that home? Will we be done for littering the picnic area if we leave it behind? Are they planning to roll us in it? That’ll teach us to smile and wave…the sole driver called out to us, and brave soul Marie approached the tractor, whereupon she was presented with an enormous watermelon.
Bewildered and burdened, she trudged back to our table, Dirty Dancing style, bearing the weighty fruit, while the tractor whizzed away. Seconds later, the truck was back and the two hay-farmers joined our table for a watermelon feast. After half an hour they headed for home, leaving us with enough melon for another fifty hungry farmers. Marie and Donna sliced it up and we distributed huge chunks to all the families on the beach and at the picnic site, many of whom declined on the grounds of already having plenty of watermelon. Thus we each ended up with a considerable share to take home.
Flicking through PALS Magazine that night, I came across a recipe for Watermelon Curry. Well, why not? It sounded disgusting but I love curry, and watermelon, and had loads to use up. Despite knowing that watermelon (sweet) is delicious with cold halloumi (savoury – and I wouldn’t condone eating halloumi raw in any other dish), it felt quite wrong to add chunks of cool melon to a hot pan.
However, the result was a delightful surprise and a really satisfying meal. I highly recommend it both for the taste and as a brilliant way to use up the surplus watermelon we seem to garner every summer (do also try it with the raw halloumi!).
I’ve since learned that melon curry is a staple food in certain countries, and that people have passionate views on the subject of combining sweet and savoury. Salted caramel has become extremely popular over the past few years but many, like my brother, wince at the very thought. Aidan cannot bear sweet ‘n’ sour or any such combination – until he tasted seasalt chocolate one day and became hooked. I ate no salad for my first three decades (believing that cold food does not a meal make – a notion I’ve never truly shaken off) but the day I was presented with raw spinach leaves and maple syrup on a food tasting at work, was life changing.
My mother once indexed Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management, poring through the 1930s recipes which included chocolate and partridge sandwiches. To my mind, chocolate should be worshiped and consumed unadulterated by nuts, biscuit or any other substance, let alone meat. We never tried that one. But I am certainly partial to a little chilli chocolate – a staple food in Mexico in the form of mole.
Friends tell me of all sorts of ‘delicious’ food combinations: crisps dipped in yogurt, fish-finger omelettes, wine and coke. One I tried out of curiousity was Farrah’s favourite halloumi (hot, grilled) and peach – divine. I was served cooked halloumi with garlic in pitta once, which was also delectable, but in a totally different way – I don’t think halloumi, peach and garlic would work. Then again, I have no other plans for dinner…
Jezebel hosts a Quiz Evening every Monday 6.30pm at The Mansion of Stavroula in Konia. www.groovejetmedia.com
