Desparately seeking watermelon - farmers markets or dishes?

[rworange]

I am REALLY in the mood for watermelon. Has anyone bought a good watermelon yet at any farmers market or even regular market ... I'm not a snob ... Berkeley Bowl can have some fine watermelons.

In a watermelon question on the General Board, dry-farmed watermelons are supposed to be good. Does anyone do that here?

One of the farms with the best variety of melons is J. E. Perry Farms in Fremont, but I'm thinking it is too early for them.

http://www.perryfarmsorganic.com/

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/40010

My next favorite it Heirloom Organics at Ferry Plaza. They usually are just greens (great chard), but when they have watermelon it is stellar and worth the price ... sigh ... another late August place.

Then there's the vendor at the Sonoma Saturday farmers market whose name I forget. Anyone notice melons there ... or anywhere?

Failing that, any restaurants serving watermelon dishes ... not so into a big tasting menu thing, I want to order a single dish. It is unlikely I'm going to make it to Winterland before it closes, anything else?

While one of the many Latino vendors pushing food carts up my street sells watermelon, mango, etc in plastic baggies sprinkled with chili pepper and a dash of lime, I'm looking for more than that .. although that's where the craving started.

I'm SERIOUS about wanting watermelon.

General Board

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/309349

Home Cooking

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...

[Jim]

Last summer I had the best seeded watermelons from a farmer at the Serramonte Farmers Market. They're back this summer selling only melons and corn. Just picked one up on Thurs. You can't miss them $5 each and I never had a bad melon all summer. The market is on Thurs & Sat. but he's only there on Thurs.

[megek]

I had a delicious watermelon-mint-feta salad at Andalu last summer, but just checked their current menu and its not on it.

[wally]

Somebody at Ferry Plaza had watermelon last week. I didn't buy one so have no idea of the quality. I think it might be the same people that sell the okra.

[Gary Soup]

This time of year you can usually find a big white truck selling them in Chinatown on Stockton somewhere near Sacramento or Clay, at least around midday on weekends. It's an old Black man with a young assistant, and all watermelons are $5.00 regardless of size and type (seeded, seedless, yellow, whatever). They are excellent.

[wendy]

Full Belly Farm (Palo Alto - i think they go elsewhere as well) had their first yellow and orchid watermelon last Saturday. It was good; but it usually gets even better as the season progress.

[Morton the Mousse]

Sketch has excellent watermelon granita. Their selection changes and though they've had it fairly consistently over the past few weeks you might want to call ahead and check. Personally, I prefer the sharlyn melon sorbet.

Let us know if you find dry farmed melons. All of the dry farmed produce I've tried has been outstanding.