What to cook this June: The fresh fruits of summer

Is there anything better on a hot summer’s day than a nice cold slice of watermelon? It’s my birthday month, and I love the abundance of fresh summer fruits in June — like Mother Nature is offering up a birthday bounty just for me. 

All the melons are at peak freshness this month. Watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew, all of which people either love or hate. I think they get a bad rap — all melons are aces in my book. 

You’ll also find stone fruits starting to make an appearance. Plums and peaches are appearing at lower prices, which is awesome. A big summer salad with grilled peach is a favorite for me. 

And good news: it’s peak season for my favorite fruit: avocados. So I’ve got a lovely refreshing way for you to enjoy them that you’ll love, trust me. 

Let’s take a look at some refreshing ways to enjoy these sumptuous summer treats.

Watermelon

Cold straight from the fridge or as a big glass of agua fresca de sandia, watermelon is the perfect way to cool off in summer. And with only three ingredients, who doesn’t love a cheeky watermelon margarita! 

But have you tried watermelon in a salad? It’s amazing. 

We’re talking sweet watermelon with salty cotija cheese, refreshing mint, tied together with a nice zesty lime dressing. It might sound unusual, but, for most, it’s love at first bite. Plus, let’s not forget all watermelon’s health benefits: improved hydration, muscle recovery and heart health. It’s also an excellent source of vitamins A and C and lycopene, which can reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers. 

This summer salad is the perfect way to beat the heat of June. 

Watermelon Salad

Salad Ingredients:

• 8 cups cubed watermelon
• 1 jalapeño, finely chopped
• ½ cup of either cojita or feta cheese, crumbled
• ½ cup red onion, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp fresh mint, finely sliced

Dressing Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 limes zested and juiced
• ¼ teaspoon salt, more if desired

Directions

1. Add watermelon, cheese, jalapeño, red onion and mint to a large bowl.
2. Whisk olive oil, lime juice, lime zest and salt together. 
3. Pour the dressing over the salad and gently stir to combine. Serve immediately. 

Avocado

Easy to make in 10 minutes, I dare you not to fall in love with avocado ice cream. If there was ever going to be a healthy-ish ice cream, it’s made from a superfood, right?

Creamy and delicious, avocado ice cream is competing against mango sorbet for favorite summer treat in my house. Best of all, no ice cream maker needed! You probably have all the things you need already in the kitchen.

Avocado Ice Cream 

Ingredients

• 2 large whole avocados (about a pound/454 grams)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup condensed milk
• 1 lime, zest and juice

Directions

1. An hour before making the ice cream, place a glass bowl in the freezer (this helps the cream get fluffy). Line a rectangular loaf pan with plastic wrap. 
2. Slightly smash the scooped-out avocado in a bowl, and add the lime juice and zest. Stir to combine. Beat with an electric mixer for a couple of minutes until it has a smooth, even consistency. 
3. Take the glass bowl from the freezer and pour in the heavy cream. Starting slowly, then increasing the speed, whip until the cream has formed peaks, about 4 minutes.
4. With a spatula, gently fold in the avocado mixture until incorporated. Be careful not to lose too much of the cream’s fluffiness. 
5. Pour the mixture into the loaf tin, cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours. 
6. Take out 5 minutes before serving so it’s soft enough to scoop and enjoy!

Taquería-style salsa

Okay, this salsa should come with a warning: It’s addictive. It’s so good, you’ll want to put it on everything, not just your tacos pastor. Best of all, you can roast, fry or boil the ingredients to suit your taste. I like them roasted. 

I love that this recipe has tomato and tomatillos. But I’m a sucker for tomatillo anything. Thankfully, they’re also available year-round. Oh, and this salsa can be spicy. Adjust the heat to your liking by not adding as many chiles arbol. 

Ingredients

• 1 large tomato
• 4 medium tomatillo (6 small ones)
• ⅓ medium white onion
• 2 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
• 13-15 dry arbol chile peppers, dry
• Salt to taste

Directions

1. Put a heavy skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the tomatillos, tomato, garlic and onion to roast. 
2. Cook, turning occasionally, for about 8 minutes until everything shows signs of blistering and softening. The garlic will cook faster than everything else, in just a few minutes, so remove it when ready and set aside. 
3. Remove everything from the skillet and place it all in a blender, including the garlic. Now add the chiles arbol to the skillet and continuously stir to slightly roast them. They can burn quickly, so keep an eye on them. 
4. Add them to the blender with the garlic, and blend until smooth. Add a little water if too thick.
5. Place in a bowl and enjoy!

Mexico Correspondent for International Living, Bel is an experienced writer, author, photographer and videographer with 500+ articles published both in print and across digital platforms. Living in the Mexican Caribbean for over seven years now, she’s in love with Mexico and has no plans to go anywhere anytime soon.