NEW TWIST ON WATERMELON

Dorn't miss these fun, no-fuss ideas the entire family con enjoy.

Watermelon season is in full swing, so now's the time to feast on these rubyhued gems. Most of the time we enjoy this tasty melon in chunks or slices straight out of hand. Some folks add a sprinkling of salt to coax out a tad bit more of the fruit's tropical sweetness.

Once you've cut into your just-right find, use these creative recipes for that leftover hunk or two. We've even included an edible Watermelon Cup, which is sure to get rave reviews at your next gathering.

-Scoff Jones

Watermelon Salsa

MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS

PREP: 20 MIN.

This recipe doubles as a healthful and refreshing topping for gritted, baked, or broiled fish, shrimp, or chicken.

1 ½ tsp. grated lime rind

1 ¼ cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)

1 Tbsp. sugar

¾ tsp. ground black pepper

3 cups seeded and finely chopped watermelon

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced

2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced

¼ cup chopped red onion

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

½ tsp. salt

Tortilla chips

1. Whisk together first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Add watermelon and next 4 ingredients, gently tossing to coat. Chill until ready to serve. Stir in salt just before serving. Serve with tortilla chips.

Serve Watermelon Cups with a dinner fork to make cutting through the cups a little easier.

Watermelon Cups

These colorful cups look like a million bucks and can be made up to four hours ahead. Use them for everything from chicken or tuna salad to fresh fruit.

1. Cut a 2-inch-thick slice from a seedless watermelon. (We recommend using a large chef's knife.)

2. Using a 3-inch round cutter, press through the watermelon slice, forming a cylinder.

3. Scoop out the center of each cylinder, leaving a ½-inch-thick border, to form a cup, reserving the watermelon centers for another use. (Tip: A grapefruit spoon works great here.) Place cups on paper towels, and chill until ready to use.

Test Kitchen Secret: We use a melon bailer to get perfectly round honeydew and cantaloupe balls (which, when combined with fresh blackberries and sprigs of fresh mint, make a simple yet beautiful presentation.) Most melon bailers are designed with a single handle and different-size scoops at each end.

Watermelon-Mint Margaritas

MAKES 5 CUPS

PREP: 10 MIN., FREEZE: 4 HRS.

Use leftover watermelon to make this slushy summer drink.

4 cups seeded and chopped watermelon

Fresh lime juice

Sugar

½ cup tequila*

¼ cup sugar

1 Tbsp. grated lime rind

¼ cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint leaves

Garnish: fresh mint sprig

1. Place watermelon in a single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze 4 hours or until firm.

2. Coat rims of cocktail glasses with lime juice; dip in sugar.

3. Process frozen watermelon, tequila, and next 4 ingredients in a blender until slushy. Pour into glasses. Garnish, if desired. * ½ cup orange or apple juice may be substituted for tequila.

Beat the heat with a thirst-quenching Watermelon-Mint Margarita. Substitute orange or apple juice for tequila to make a kid-friendly version.

Frozen Watermelon Dippers

MAKES 15 SKEWERS

PREP: 10 MIN., FREEZE: 4 HRS., STAND: 10 MIN.

Cantaloupe and pineapple can easily be used with the watermelon for a colorful variation.

15 (1-inch) seeded watermelon cubes

15 (4-inch) wooden skewers

Toppings: chocolate chips, vanilla yogurt, strawberry yogurt, candy sprinkles, sweetened toasted coconut, crystallized ginger, honey, chopped macadamia nuts, kosher salt, ground cumin

1. Place 1 watermelon cube on each of 15 skewers, and freeze 4 hours or until firm.

2. Remove from freezer, and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

3. Dip cubes in desired toppings.

Layered Fruit Salad

Check out our easy instructions to create layers of color using summer's bounty. We used a 2-quart round glass bowl with straight sides, but you can use a different size, adjusting the amount of fruit as needed.

* Cut 2 (1 ½-inch-thick) crosswise slices from center of a seedless watermelon. Place 1 slice on a cutting board. Using a paring knife, cut around the rind, and remove from slice, forming a watermelon disc. Repeat procedure with remaining slice.

* Cut 1 or 2 honeydew melons and 1 cantaloupe in half lengthwise; peel and seed halves. Cut halves, crosswise, into ¼-inch-thick slices.

* Place 1 watermelon disc on bottom of glass bowl. Layer half of honeydew melon slices in a circular pattern, slightly overlapping, on top of disc. Repeat procedure with remaining watermelon disc and honeydew slices.

* Layer cantaloupe slices in a circular pattern, slightly overlapping, on top of honeydew slices.

* Garnish, if desired, with fresh peach slices, raspberries, blackberries, strawberry halves, and mint leaves. If desired, place bowl on a cake stand.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Jul 2006
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