Locavores

One stellar representative of the Cucurbitaceae family (the family of gourds, squashes, cucumbers, melons, and watermelons that we introduced last week) is the humble cucumber, the second most consumed cucurbit after watermelon.

Shall we shorten that to cucurbits? It’s a good word to keep in mind the next time you play Scrabble!

A large family of gourds, many members of the Cucurbitaceae family are familiar to us: cucumber (Cucumis sativus), muskmelon (Cucumis melo), watermelon (Citrullis lanatus), pumpkin and squash (both from genus Cucurbita). They are a ground-hugging bunch, having in common the fact that they usually grow on annual vines, have both male and female flowers, spring-like tendrils, large fleshy fruit with a hard outer covering, and seeds that are fairly large and flat.

Last week we explored how simple it is to sun-dry tomatoes and take advantage of the bountiful offerings at the Harlingen Farmers Market. If you followed the instructions you have probably discovered how sun-drying tomatoes really does intensify and concentrate their flavor. In case you missed the instructions, you can find the article in last Saturday’s Valley Morning Star or at our website (www.harlingenfarmersmarket.com).

Many methods of preserving food have lost their original purpose, which is to extend the shelf life of food in order to keep it for later consumption. Due to the wide availability of refrigeration for storing food, today many of these preservation methods are instead used to enhance the flavor or experience of food, or for nostalgic reasons.