What to Do with Watermelons

Forgive me as I begin this blog post lamenting how close to the end of summer we are. I'm sorry to bring up the obvious, but trust me, while I'm melancholic about the impending change of seasons, I do welcome cooler weather and hopefully, rain.

But let's cross that bridge when we get there, shall we? For now, let's enjoy the bounty of summer and farmers markets and long days and warm sunshine, all in the form of luscious tomatoes, zucchinis, peaches, canteloupes, WATERMELONS!

I know. They are a pain to lug to your car and then to actually spend precious time cutting them open and dicing the inside of the fruit up. It never concludes with a clean kitchen. But a bite of that ripe, luscious fruit and you know it's all worthwhile.

Here are my favorite ways of serving watermelon outside of just eating them plain or whizzing them in a blender with other fruits for a smoothie. My favorite is getting them at the farmer's market, from the people who actually grew them, who will tell you when the fruit will actually be ripe. Absent of the grower's advice, you can tap the outside and if it sounds pretty hollow, it's good to go.

Watermelon Gazpacho

Here's a super simple gazpacho recipe inspired by a long weekend in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is made with watermelons spruced up with chili and sea salt. The sweetness of the watermelons when mixed with acidity from tomatoes, and jazzed up with a dash of chili make for a surprising, but wonderful combination. The best part is that you just throw everything in the blender, whiz it until you get the right consistency, and serve - cold!

You will need:

A blender

3 cups watermelon chunks, chilled in the fridge for at least 3 hours

While you’re at it, go ahead and chill your serving bowls as well

1 small tomato, chopped

¼ of a jalapeno or if unavailable, dried chili pepper flakes will do

¼ green onion stalk, chopped (you can use less if green onion isn’t your thing)

Coarsely ground sea salt (I used pink sea salt for aesthetics, but any freshly ground salt will do)

Chopped cilantro for garnish

Simply whiz everything in the blender, except the sea salt and cilantro. Correct the taste to your liking by adding more watermelons. You’re not making Bloody Mary, though, so easy on the tomatoes. When done, ladle in chilled bowls and garnish with fresh chopped cilantro. Ground some sea salt to taste and throw in a dash of dried chili flakes.

Watermelon Salad

I never thought I would appreciate watermelon in a salad but did you know what happens when watermelon is laced with (high quality) balsamic vinegar? Magic.

You will need:

Baby greens of your choosing

Watermelon chunks, about an equal proportion to your greens

Feta cheese, crumbled

Good quality balsamic vinegar (Tip: the best balsamic vinegar supposedly comes from Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. It is barrel aged for years and that's why great balsamic vinegar is syrupy, not watery, and rather sweet, not tangy. Good balsamic vinegar costs a pretty penny and after running out of the bottle I took home from Italy, the closest thing I coud find was this Calivirgin out of Lodi.)

Extra virgin olive oil

Pine nuts

Mint leaves roughly chopped

The dressing is just two parts balsamic, two parts olive oil. Stir rapidly with a spoon in a small bowl. This would result in an almost gelatinous consistency if you have the right quality stuff.

Layer watermelon on top of your greens, then cheese and pine nuts on top. I like drizzling the balsamic vinegar on top (as light or as generous as you prefer, but I like light on mine). Finish with chopped fresh mint and serve.

#food