Canadian agriculture
While true Montreal Melons remain difficult to find, this recipe works beautifully with cantaloupe or honeydew as well. What those melons lack, however, is the faint nutmeg-like fragrance that made the legendary Montreal Melon famous.
Blended with creamy Greek yogurt, fresh lime juice, olive oil, and mint, this refreshing soup strikes a balance between sweet and savory that feels equally at home at a garden luncheon or a summertime supper table.
Montreal Melon, or Montreal Nutmeg Melon as it is sometimes called, is a remarkable fruit, once one of the great agricultural treasures of Canada. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, wealthy diners in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Montreal eagerly awaited its short summer season. Hotels and fine restaurants advertised it by name, and upscale fruit merchants displayed the giant melons like jewels in their shop windows.