Watermelon thoughts

Watermelon thought #1: The other day as I passed my local market, they were unloading crates and crates of watermelons. But it's only May?!? It's just plain discombobulating--not to mention the shipped-from-a-distance carbon footprint issue. Watermelon is supposed to be for hot summer days when you compete with your sisters to see who can spit the seeds the farthest.

Watermelon thought #2: The Agricultural Research Service arm of the USDA has discovered that the sugars in watermelon juice can be made into ethanol. Of the watermelons that are grown for human consumption, 20 percent of the total U.S. crop--around 800 million pounds--are left in fields because of external blemishes or deformities. Now these cast-off melons might find love as a biofuel.

Watermelon thought #3: Even though I liked watermelon as a kid (probably just so I could spit the seeds), I'm not a big fan as an adult. It's just a big slice of sugar water. However, I've had it in a couple of savory salads where it kinda won me over. On that theory, I tried pairing it with savory things to serve as an appetizer. I was looking for something rich and salty (like cheese) and something tart and crisp (like a pickle) to offset the sweetness of the melon.

Skewered Melon Appetizers
Sweet, tart and savory, all in one bite. Try it with watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe or a mixture of all three

3/4 pound goat gouda, provolone or fontina
About 40 bread & butter pickles, dill pickle chips or pickled jalapeño slices
2 cups melon balls or cubes (1 inch)

1. Cut the cheese into pieces about the same size as the type of pickle you are using.
2. Skewer one piece of cheese, one pickle and one melon ball on a toothpick.

Makes about 40 pieces

Random barley thought: Aren't you glad you don't work for something called the Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative?