No fruit screams, “Summer’s here!” louder than watermelon. Not only can watermelon quench your thirst on a balmy August afternoon, it also keeps you healthy. Watermelons are rich in vitamins C and A and full of disease-fighting antioxidants. Similar to tomatoes, watermelons also have a high concentration of lycopene, a carotenoid known for its cancer-fighting properties. Clearly, there's more to these pink and green babies than sheer deliciousness.
While the best way to enjoy watermelon is sliced and with two hands, however, these five recipes take the ’melon to a whole new level of deliciousness.
Watermelon Juice: There’s nothing more refreshing than a glass of fresh watermelon juice. Dice a seedless watermelon into chunks and blend it with water until smooth. Pour the juice into a chilled in a glass and garnish with mint.
Watermelon Feta Salad: A classic Italian-inspired salad, garnish bite-sized pieces of watermelon with onion rings, vinaigrette, salt, pepper, and feta cheese. Serve it with sprigs of mint as a perfect bbq side.
Tomato and Watermelon Salad: An unlikely duo, tomato and watermelon surprisingly make a beautiful pair. Combine similar-sized chunks of tomato and watermelon with onion, vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, and sugar. Serve it plain or over lettuce leaves for a tangy summer salad.
Watermelon Sorbet: End a day of grilling with a bowl of ice-cold watermelon sorbet. In a saucepan, boil 1 cup of water with 1 cup of sugar until dissolved. In a blender, blend eight cups of diced watermelon in batches. Combine the sugar water with the watermelon puree and two tablespoons of lemon juice and freeze overnight.
Watermelon Margarita: No summer Sunday is complete without a cocktail. Mix 12 ounces of watermelon juice with 2 ounces lime juice, 4 ounces Triple Sec, 8 ounces silver tequila, and 1 lime cut into wedges for a batch cocktail that will keep your party going all night long.
Edited by Jody Smith