Summer Melons Are the Stars of the Hollywood Farmers’ Market

As the summer temperatures heat up, produce that grows on a vine thrives with the warmer temperatures. I about the beautiful selection of melons available at the Ha’s Apple Orchard stand and thought I had the melon topic covered until discovering other farm stands overflowing with a different selection of melons at last Sunday's market.

“I didn’t know there were so many different types of melons,” said Mindy Harper, a fellow shopper at the market.

I agree. Over at the Murray Family Farms stand, Harper and I found heirloom melons such as Cavaillon melons, a sweet cantaloupe variety that has a bright orange flesh and an intoxicating aroma when ripe. These are traditionally found in the South of France.

“I will have melons until the end of August, but they’re peak in season right now,” said Felipe Gonzales, who operates the Murray Family Farms stand.

Murray Family Farms, located in the Bakersfield area, is known by market regulars for its vegetables and orchard fruit. During the summer months, the farm also grows melons. The farm offers large Yellow Doll watermelons, a golden flesh melon with a soft fruit and tropical flavor. They’re also called pineapple watermelons and they are excellent as an ingredient for smoothies or iced summer cocktails. Gonzales suggested I make a margarita or a fresh salsa out of the Yellow Dolls by adding garlic, onion and jalapeño. I will. He’s a good salesperson!

“I brought 50 of the watermelons this week and they sold out quickly, so make sure to get here early,” Gonzales said.

Murray Family Farms also has a few other vine ripened fruits such as Summer Muscat and Thomcord grapes and Kiowa blackberries, a giant juicy berry that is also good to make a salsa, fruit salad or a spicy summer chutney.

“The melons I have are very popular with restaurant chefs so I sell out quickly,” said Ricardo Munoz, who operates the Weiser Family Farms stand.

Weiser Family Farms is also located near Bakersfield and it's best known for the wonderful potatoes it grows. During the summer months, an exotic selection of melons is the choice crop by the family. It offers French Cavaillon melons and Ogen, a tropical melon with a pale green flesh. Ogens are also called Israel cantaloupes.

The farm also has Sugar Queens, a cantaloupe hybrid that turns a bright copper orange color when fully ripe and Arava melons, another cantaloupe variety that has a pale green nectarous flavor. This week it also offered tiny golden French cantaloupes that are similar to the French Cavaillon melons, but more delicate in color and flavor.

The most unusual melon at the Weiser Family Farms stand are the Piel de Sapo, a green blotched skin melon that has a sweet, white honeydew like texture. You can read more about the Piel de Sapo melon because it even has its own Facebook page. 

If you’re looking for a more traditional type of cantaloupe, the closest you will find is at the Rocky Canyon Farms stand where you'll discover Ambrosia cantaloupes, a hybrid that has an intense salmon-red flesh that’s juicy and tender. It tastes nothing like the melons you find at the grocery store. Why would you want those?

All of these unique melons are best served chilled and on their own because of their intense flavors, but you can also pair them with other summer fruits such as peaches, apricots and berries. The French Cavaillon melon is perfect for thin slices of a salty French, Spanish or Italian prosciutto style ham.

If you’ve been following the saga between the Hollywood Farmers’ Market and the Los Angeles Film School, there’s been an announcement that will give market officials a little breathing room. The market permit has been extended for one year and for the time being, it will not have to relocate the two-block section of Ivar Avenue. According to a Los Angeles Times article, "…the film school officials sent a letter to the city suspending their protest against the market’s application for a yearlong permit.” The problem hasn’t gone away, but at least we won’t have to deal with it again until next year when the melons will be ready for picking again.

Please feel free to share stories and recipes of the items you find interesting at the market.

If you see me strolling about, please say hello.

See you next week at the market!

The Hollywood Farmers Market is located at the intersection of Ivar and Selma avenues, between Sunset and Hollywood boulevards. Rain or shine, it is open every Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The market is a certified open-air street market with approximately 100 farmers, 30 local artisans and 40 baked-goods and prepared-food vendors who sell their products every Sunday. It is a direct-to-consumer marketplace with all produce and products from local, California vendors and growers.

Parking: Cinerama Dome: $2 for first two hours with validation available at the information booth at Ivar and DeLongpre avenues. Metered parking: Check parking enforcement signs. Some meters free until 11 a.m. on Sundays.

Dog Sitting: Only tagged assistance dogs are allowed at the market, but this shouldn’t stop others from walking their dogs to the public event. There’s a dog sitting service provided at the corner of Ivar and Vine streets. Your prized pooch will get to socialize with other dogs while you do your shopping at the market. It charges a small fee of $5 per 20 minutes.