There are so many summer staples to choose from, but this week I decided to focus on one that I too often have an abundance of: watermelon.
Watermelon is a great party food. It's beautiful, so fresh, and is pretty much synonymous with summer. You can't even buy one in the winter if you wanted, right? Not even in the frozen section.
Sadly, I am allergic to watermelon. I know, it sounds crazy, how can you be allergic to something that feels like 95 percent water? But my allergist told me that watermelon's proteins very closely resemble ragweed's proteins, and I have a fierce allergy to ragweed. My body just can't determine the difference between the two.
So since I don't eat watermelon, when we have some left over from a party (which recently turned out to be three-quarters of a watermelon), it's likely to go in the fridge, be slowly consumed by my 1-year-old, until it gets funky and we have to throw it out. I figure there's a lot of wasted watermelon being thrown out these days, unless you exclusively buy those baby watermelons. Those are nice for a family, but are too small for serving at a party.
So instead of throwing out so much watermelon, I wanted to find some new ways to use it to reduce waste.
The easiest way to use up watermelon is liquefy it. There are a lot of different ideas out there, but I decided to share this recipe for watermelon hibiscus lime coolers. Here you make hibiscus tea, which is red and floral tasting, add the blended and strained watermelon, some honey or maple syrup to make it a little sweeter, and a half cup of fresh lime juice to give it more acidity and perk. What a refreshing sounding drink!
Next up: watermelon and corn salsa. I've noticed people substitute watermelon for tomatoes in lots of recipes (OK, maybe not lots or recipes, but enough), so why not salsa? With jalapeno, red onion, cilantro and lime juice, it's a pretty straightforward salsa recipe, with the swap of watermelon for tomatoes and the addition of corn, which isn't unheard of. Just be sure to tell people that this is watermelon before they take a bite — so much of flavor perception comes from our expectations of what we're about to taste.
Third, a recipe for bacon wrapped watermelon bites, because bacon makes everything better, right? I can see people enjoying this, the salty bacon with the sweet and juicy watermelon, with a little garnish of basil. It would make a tasty treat for yourself or an easy appetizer for a party.
And finally, spicy melon skewers, which combine watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew in a spicy-sweet syrup, put on a skewer and dressed up with prosciutto crumbles, a spice rub and chopped cilantro. There are a lot of different flavors going on here, but you're getting sweet, salty, spicy and herbaceous all at once. It's not a lot of work, but it's going to taste as if it did.
Enjoy!
Watermelon hibiscus lime cooler
4 cups filtered or purified water
4 hibiscus tea bags
4 to 6 cups cubed fresh watermelon
1/4 cup raw honey, maple syrup or other sweetener
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil and pour over the dried hibiscus. Allow to steep for 5 to 8 minutes.
Make the watermelon juice. Remove as many of the seeds as you can from the watermelon and cut the flesh into cubes. Discard the rinds. Add 4 to 6 cups of watermelon cubes to the blender and process until smooth. Strain through a strainer or sieve and discard the pulp.
Strain the hibiscus tea, add the sweetener of your choice. Stir until dissolved.
Once the tea is cooled, add to the watermelon juice and add the lime juice. Give it all a good stir and taste. Add more sweetener, as necessary.
Chill until ready to serve. Serve over ice with a watermelon or lime wedge.
Source: tasty-yummies.com
Farm fresh watermelon corn salsa
9 ounces finely diced watermelon (about 2 cups)
3 ears corn, raw or cooked to crisp-tender, shucked
1/3 cup red onion, finely diced
1 jalapeno, vein and seeds removed, finely diced
1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lime
Salt, to taste
Add all ingredients to a bowl and gently mix to combine. Serve with grilled chicken, fish, or tortilla chips.
(For more heat, add some of the jalapeno vein and/or seeds.)
Source: www.myjewishlearning.com
Bacon wrapped watermelon bites
1 pound (16 slices) hardwood smoked bacon
1/2 small watermelon, diced (you'll need sixteen 1 ½- to 2-inch cubes of watermelon)
16 small basil leaves
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place bacon in single layer on parchment-lined rimmed baking pan. Transfer to oven and bake 14 to 16 minutes or until most fat is rendered. Bacon pieces should be starting to crisp around the edges, but soft and pliable in the middle.
While warm, wrap bacon slices around watermelon cubes. Top each bite with basil leaf and secure with toothpick.
Source: foxeslovelemons.com
Spicy melon skewers
For the chile syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground ancho, pasilla, or cayenne chile pepper (depending on heat preference)
For the skewers:
3 cups cantaloupe or papaya chunks or balls
3 cups honeydew melon chunks or balls
3 cups seeded watermelon chunks or balls
20 10-inch bamboo skewers
4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto (6 slices)
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ancho, pasilla, or cayenne chile pepper
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Snipped cilantro
Prepare the chile syrup: In small saucepan bring water; sugar; and chile pepper to boiling. Stir to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Place cantaloupe or papaya, honeydew, and watermelon in large self-sealing plastic bag. Pour in chile syrup. Seal; turn to coat. Marinate in refrigerator 2 to 4 hours, turning bag occasionally. Drain melons, reserving syrup. Thread papayas and melon pieces on skewers.
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange prosciutto, cut in thin strips, in single layer on large baking sheet. Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until crisp. Transfer to paper towels; cool.
In bowl combine brown sugar, the 1 teaspoon ground chile pepper, the paprika, cumin, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle skewered papaya and melon with spice mixture, prosciutto, and cilantro. Drizzle chile syrup. Serve with any remaining spice mixture and syrup. Makes 10 servings.
Source: www.bhg.com
