Summer is the Time for Melons

The picnic, barbeque and dining alfresco season has kicked off in Weho, so what better way to celebrate than biting into a slice of a chilled melon?

“Everybody loves watermelon on a hot summer day,” said David Ha, the owner of in Oxnard.

At Ha’s farm stand, shoppers were touching, smelling and squeezing a variety of unfamiliar summer melons. Ivory Gaya, a Japanese variety that has a soft sweet white flesh and Gold Yellow, a Chinese variety that has a sweet honeydew-like texture and flavor, were on display.

Kept hidden under the table, “special” Japanese watermelons sold out early. “These Japanese watermelons are smaller and easier to carry to the car than the big ones,” Ha said.

Over at the stand, traditional summer melons—organic summer cantaloupes, honeydew and big watermelons—were popular. And at the stand, shoppers sought out green, red and white pepper vegetables, and flowering chive blossoms for salads, eggs and soup.

Perhaps the biggest news Monday was the addition of the Ken’s Top Notch Produce stall, an organic Central Valley farm in Reedley. “My family has 100 acres where we grow stone fruits, citrus and grapes,” said owner Ken Lee.

Lee’s farm has filled a very big hole at the market after the announced it would not be returning to the Weho market this summer after losing 90 percent of its stone fruit crop to a late spring frost.

The tables at the Ken’s Top Notch Produce stand were overflowing with fragrant summer stone fruits, including white and mango nectarines, yellow and white peaches, and ruby-red pluots.

“We will be here all summer, or until we run out of fresh fruit to pick.” Lee said.

The West Hollywood Farmers' Market is held every Monday (rain or shine) from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at , 1200 N. Vista St.