The Pick of the Crop
(Page 9 of 10)
Watermelons and Cantaloupes
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My favorite cantaloupe is Boule d'Or from Le Marche. In
certain areas of France, this melon is as famous as the
renowned Charentais. However, it's an entirely different
type of melon, requiring a long, warm growing season. (I
planted the middle of May and harvested the first of
September.) The large, round fruits are pale yellow, and
the light green interior is indescribably delicious.
The very best large watermelon I grew was the lovely Moon
& Stars from Seeds Blum. This variety derives its name
from the yellow moon- and star-shaped splashes on its dark
green skin. (The foliage is also speckled, making it
attractive to grow.) Inside this pretty exterior is one of
the best-eating melons you'll ever sink your teeth into.
The flesh is bright red and sugary sweet.
Peppers
The most impressive sweet pepper among many was Pinetree's
Midal. The tall, rugged plants are loaded down with long,
cream-colored sweet fruits that turn an unusual orange-red
at maturity.
The hottest (literally) among the hot peppers I tried are
Habanero from Porter, Hot Apple from Stokes, and Sandia
from Burrell. All produce huge crops of fiery fruits that
will singe your tastebuds. Less hot, but still snappy, is
Hastings' Festival, whose fruits change from green to
orange to purple. Not only are the small, pointed peppers
pretty enough to allow this variety to double as an
ornamental plant, but their feisty flavor adds spice to any
number of dishes.
Squash
There are some excellent new summer squashes, such as the
lovely Green Magic zucchini from Vesey's; Elini, a similar
variety from Twilley; and Butter Swan, a highly refined,
high-quality crookneck from Park.
Appealing winter squashes include the very early-maturing
(less than 90 days) Mountaineer from Fisher's. Its small,
slate blue, hubbard-type fruits are delicious baked, and
they keep well. I'm also really excited about Johnny's
Honey Delight, whose small, flattened globes are somewhat
like a buttercup variety without the button on the bottom.
No matter how you prepare them, their rich, orange flesh
will be flaky and sweet.
Tomatoes
Few tomatoes ripen earlier than Brookpack from Early Seeds.
In 55 days, you can pick bright red, flattened globes that
are surprisingly large (up to eight ounces) and quite
tasty. The vines are dwarf and compact, yet hold their
fruit off the ground.
Now let's move to the big tomatoes. Personally, I go for
the Better Boy types, but clones of the recent All America
Winner, Celebrity, are increasingly popular. Such a variety
is Summer Delight from Burpee. The eight- to 12-ounce
fruits, which mature in 75 days, are thick, meaty and
flavorful.
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