by Diane Sagers

CORRESPONDENT

Melons and August go hand in hand. What would a late August picnic be without cold juicy melons to finish off the meal or as a side dish with the other foods?

Melons, depending on the variety, range in size from just a little bigger than a softball to big, heavy types. They come in multiple colors with the outsides striped, plain, yellow, pale green, dark green, or orange. The flesh colors also vary, and they can be a bit of a surprise. Watermelons come in shades of red and yellow; cantaloupes can be orange to green when ripe; and other melons may also be pale yellow to bright orange or green.

For most of us, the history of melons goes back as far as Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer -- a famous lover of watermelons -- or perhaps just a little further.

Those who study such things are uncertain where they actually originated. Some believe they originated in the valleys of southwest Asia, specifically Iran (Persia) and India. No one has ever found these plants growing anywhere in the wild other than the occasional escapee from someone's garden.

Whatever their origins, it is clear that people have enjoyed melons for more than 4,000 years, with the first documented use of the word melon in 1395. The word probably came from the Greek word melos, one of the Greek Cyclades Islands best know for the Venus de Milo.

The first white American settlers to North America in the 1600s, grew casaba and honeydew melons, but natural selection and hybridization have provided us with fruits far superior to those available 400 years ago.

It is hard to improve on sweet, delicious melons that are fresh and warm from the garden or chilled in the refrigerator. Either way, they are delightful. They make a great dessert or mix together to make a delicious salad or side dish. Blend them up for a sweet and tasty drink.

Most of us would eat them whether they were nutritious or not so this may be one of those "who cares?" tidbits of information. Nevertheless, as it happens, melons are also very good for you.

Melons contain up to 94 percent water. The nutrients are packed into that other 6 percent, but you get a big bang for your buck.

In a 100-gram serving, you get these vitamin percentages of the Recommended Daily Allowance:

Cantaloupe (American) -- 100 percent of vitamin A, and 24 percent of vitamin C

Casaba -- 40 percent of vitamin C, and 4 percent of the iron you need.

Honeydew -- 53 percent of vitamin C

Watermelon -- 14 percent vitamin A, 16 percent vitamin C

Melons are so good plain that most people don't dress them up any more than to mix them for a salad or provide a fruit dip for them. However there are some ways to add interest to these treats. Replace bowls with melon halves for serving salads, punch or dips depending on the size of the melon. Scoop out the insides, or make melon balls from it, and fill with the food of your choice. Make the edges jagged or scalloped for an even better presentation.

You can also use a half cantaloupe or slices of cantaloupe or other small melons as a holder for ice cream. The two make a delightful combination.

Use melon balls to garnish ice cream or cakes or drinks.

Dried watermelon candy

Remove seeds, slice melon 1/2-inch thick, and pat out extra liquid with a towel. Dry 12 hours in the oven at 375 degrees or up to 36 hours in a fruit drier set on low.

Watermelon jelly

This jelly is great as a covering for cream cheese and bagels, English muffins or as a condiment with roast chicken.

4 cups seeded, diced watermelon

3 1/2 cups sugar

2 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 of a 6-ounce package liquid fruit pectin

Place diced and seeded watermelon in a blender container or food processor bowl. Cover and blend or process until smooth (should equal 2 cups watermelon puree). In a 6- to 8-quart kettle or Dutch oven, combine the watermelon puree, sugar and lemon juice and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil (a boil that cannot be stirred down) over high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in pectin all at once. Return mixture to a full rolling boil and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove kettle or Dutch oven from heat; skim off foam. Ladle jelly into clean hot half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Wipe jar rims; adjust lids. Allow to cool completely away from drafts, then store in a cool, dark place. Makes 4 half pints.

Cantaloupe shakes

1/2 medium cantaloupe (about 1 1/4 pounds)

1 pint vanilla ice cream

1 cup milk

Combine in blender and serve. Substitute other melons as you choose.

Creamy cheese dressing

1 8-ounce package cream cheese

1/4 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1 6-ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

3 avocados cut to bite-sized chunks

1 small cantaloupe cut to bite-sized chunks

About 30 minutes before serving, put cream cheese, milk, ginger, and 3 tablespoons lemonade concentrate in a small bowl and mix with mixer until smooth.

In a larger bowl, toss avocado and cantaloupe with remaining lemonade concentrate. Pass cream cheese mixture to serve over salad.