Watermelons are at their best right now.
Juicy and sweet … they’re the perfect refreshing treat for a hot summer day.
But did you know that you can enjoy this summer fruit other than just by the slice?
I asked my friends Justin Fox Burks and Amy Lawrence of The Chubby Vegetarian blog and their soon-to-be-released The Chubby Vegetarian Cookbook (due out in November 2016 for the exact date) to share some of their favorite ways to enjoy watermelon.
Justin starts by describing one of his favorite summer salads. “One of our favorite things to do with watermelon is to take it to our outdoor grill and put some nice grill marks on it. It takes a watermelon from sweet to savory. We serve it as a salad with goat cheese and honey-lime vinaigrette.”
And for a refreshing watermelon libation? “All summer long we make melon-ade. So you get your watermelon, you get your cantaloupe, you get your honeydew. And sweeten it … add a little honey and lime. And it is the best summer drink.”
And this idea is definitely out of the box! “The craziest thing we do with watermelon is to stick it in the dehydrator and take the moisture content down by about half. It gives you a very meaty watermelon that we serve as a crudo with hot peppers and olive oil.”
Watermelon can also be the secret ingredient to enhance a favorite dish. “We love summer tomatoes and we usually make a lot of gazpacho in the summer. But we add watermelon too for just a little extra sweetness.”
When buying watermelon, Amy and Justin suggest picking up a few. The heaviest one will be the juiciest and sweetest.
This is Jennifer Chandler with The Weekly Dish. Happy Summer!
For more recipes from Justin and Amy, check out their first book The Southern Vegetarian and their blog http://chubbyvegetarian.blogspot.com/. Their second book The Chubby Vegetarian will be on bookshelves everywhere in November 2016.
Grilled Watermelon & Tomato Salad with Honey-Lime Vinaigrette
This is the perfect salad for an outdoor BBQ because you could just grill the whole melon, double the dressing, and feed every last person.
- 1 personal-sized watermelon (smaller than a volleyball)
- 2 medium yellow tomatoes (1/4 inch slices)
- 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
- 4 ounces soft goat cheese
- Honey-Lime Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
- 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Maldon sea salt flakes
- 1 cup loose packed cilantro leaves (to garnish)
Start by cutting 2 1-inch thick slices from the heart of the watermelon. Cut watermelon slices into quarters. Preheat your outdoor grill to high. Grill one side of the watermelon slices until the sugar starts to caramelize. The watermelon should be well-marked by the grill grates. Remove melon slices from the grill and set aside. Do not flip and grill the other side because then the watermelon will fall apart.
To serve place 1 to 2 slices of yellow tomato on the serving plate, top that with 1 to 2 slices grilled watermelon, 1/4 cup of the halved cherry tomatoes, and 1 ounce of the soft goat cheese. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the Honey-Lime Vinaigrette over the dish, sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of ancho chili powder, and salt to taste. Finish the dish with a few fresh cilantro leaves. Repeat the process for each serving.
This is the perfect thing to serve at a summertime dinner party. It makes use of the best produce of the season, plus it's cool and refreshing.
Makes 4 servings.
Honey-Lime Vinaigrette
- juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
- zest of 1 (organic) lime
- 2 tablespoons local honey
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- scant 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
Place the lime juice, zest, honey, olive oil, and cayenne in a small jar with a lid and shake it until the dressing emulsifies. Set aside until ready to use.
Reprinted with permission from The Southern Vegetarian by Justin Fox Burks and Amy Lawrence.
