Our prep kitchen, the area where we bring in our harvested produce, smells like nirvana these days. It is because we are experiencing the perfumes of the ripening melons. Ah, the aroma is delightful and distinctive!

Here are the first two cantaloupes, ripe and ready to cut up this afternoon.

Then cut!

And now sliced and ready for the refrigerator!

YUM! There are so many on the way and we will be inundated for the next couple of weeks. Too bad I know of no really good ways to preserve these babies other than to eat them voraciously while in season. In a way, it makes it all the more precious to have them fresh on our plates for days to come!

One note about the melon preparation that I have been following due to news in the last year or so about illness related to this particular fresh product. I wash the raw melons first. Then, after each cut with my knife, I rinse the knife under my hot water dispenser to clean the blade before each successive cut. I feel very comfortable with this process, something that I never used to feel compelled to do in years past, but started this regimen with last year’s crop of melons.

In other news, the concrete contractors started early but had a long day of high heat to deal with as they got ready for the new terrace steps and new sidewalk. They have not begun the driveway yet, but this was part of the plan to get the rear objectives done in advance of the driveway proper.

Here are the forms for the rear terrace steps as they became ready for a concrete pour tomorrow. Look for more pics coming soon!