---

I’m admittedly not a huge watermelon fan, but I do like artificial watermelon flavoring. But, that doesn’t mean there aren’t some really good recipes out there for watermelon, and I also understand I’m in the minority.

So today, I step out of my own comfort zone and we’re doing watermelon recipes!

Also, happy birthday to my wonderful wife Aly!! She puts up with a lot from me, and some occasionally bad cooking, so she deserves praise year ‘round, but especially this week on her birthday!!

+ + + +

WATERMELON SWEET TEA

4 green tea bags

1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves, plus more for garnish

2/3 cup honey

8 cups cubed seedless watermelon (1-inch cubes)

Put the tea bags and mint in a large heatproof pitcher. Add 5 cups boiling water and steep 4 minutes. Remove the tea bags and mint without squeezing the tea bags. Whisk in the honey until dissolved. Let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour, then refrigerate until cool, about 2 hours.

Meanwhile, arrange 2 cups watermelon cubes in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid, about 1 hour.

Puree the remaining 6 cups watermelon in a blender until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into the pitcher and stir to combine.

Divide the frozen watermelon cubes among glasses. Add the tea and garnish with mint sprigs.

+ + + +

WATERMELON PIZZA

Chocolate Ganache

4 oz. semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Sweetened Yogurt

3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

5 Tbsp. powdered sugar

Watermelon Pizza

1 small watermelon (about 5 pounds), cut into 1-inch-thick slices

2 cups sliced strawberries (about 10 ounces)

1 1/2 cups blueberries (about 9 ounces)

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (about 3 ounces)

4 kiwis, sliced

1 bunch fresh mint

1 (4-ounce) bar white chocolate

For the chocolate ganache: Place the semisweet chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat until very hot and just beginning to simmer. Add the vanilla, then pour the mixture over the chocolate. Let sit 1 minute so the chocolate softens, then stir to completely melt. Set aside to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.

For the sweetened yogurt: In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt and powdered sugar until smooth. Set aside.

For the watermelon pizza: Spread the watermelon slices with the sweetened yogurt. Top with the strawberries, blueberries, pomegranate seeds, kiwis, and mint leaves. Drizzle with the chocolate ganache and use a vegetable peeler or cheese grater to shave the white chocolate over the tops. Cut into wedges for serving.

+ + + +

WATERMELON SALSA

1/2 whole small seedless watermelon, diced

1/2 whole red onion, diced

1 whole red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 whole green bell pepper, seeded and finely diced

1 whole yellow bell pepper, seeded and finely diced

2 whole jalapeños, seeded and finely diced

1 whole bunch cilantro, chopped

2 whole juice of 1 to 2 limes

1/2 tsp. salt

Throw all the ingredients into a large bowl and toss it together. Taste with a chip and adjust ingredients as needed.

Serve with chips or on top of grilled chicken or fish...or as a side salad!

+ + + +

I’ve done a recipe that featured watermelon and jalapeno BBQ ribs before, and the sauce was phenomenal. Here’s the recipe for just the watermelon barbecue sauce!

WATERMELON BBQ SAUCE

1/2 cup watermelon puree I used my blender to puree

2 garlic cloves minced

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup light brown sugar

2 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp. white vinegar

salt & pepper

Combine watermelon puree, garlic, ketchup, brown sugar, soy sauce, and vinegars in a medium sized sauce pan. Heat to boiling and then lower to a simmer.

Simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cool and then serve. Enjoy!

+ + + +

WATERMELON MOUSSE

8 oz. softened cream cheese

8 oz. sour cream

8 oz. seedless watermelon

8 oz. heavy whipping cream

pinch salt

Place the first three ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth. Add natural food coloring if desired.

Taste mixture to see if it's sweet enough, if not add your favorite sweetener. I used 1/2 tsp. of watermelon liquid stevia. Set aside.

Pour the heavy whipping cream into a stand mixer and blend on high until stiff peaks. Add salt.

Gently fold the cream and watermelon mixture together until just combined.

Pipe mousse into serving dishes and refrigerate for 2-3 hours or overnight

+ + + +

CHILE LIME GRILLED WATERMELON

1 approximately 6½ lb. mini seedless watermelon,

1/4 c. grapeseed oil

2 tsp. chili paste

1 tbsp. lime zest (from approximately 1 lime)

3 tbsp. lime juice (from approximately 1 lime)

pinch of salt

Slice the watermelon quarters lengthwise and place the slices in a single layer on a sheet pan (or two if necessary).

In a small bowl, combine the oil, chile paste, lime zest and juice, and a pinch of salt. Whisk to blend.

Preheat a stove-top or outdoor grill with high heat.

Drizzle about half of the chile-lime mixture over the watermelon slices and use your hands to spread it evenly. Then flip them over and drizzle the rest. To be sure they're well coated, you might need to flip them a few times and move them around the sheet pan.

Once the grill is very hot, add the watermelon slices, being sure there is at least an inch or so between them. (If you don't hear a sizzling sound when the fruit hits the grill, it's not hot enough. Wait for the sizzle!) Grill just long enough to mark the watermelon, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip them over, and only grill the other side for about 30 seconds. (We want the watermelon to keep it's crunch.)

Serve at room temperature or cold.

TFD: “Just thinking of a big slice of watermelon, so icy cold, drops bead[ed] up on the rind, is enough to bring tears of pure joy to a glass eye.” - Jim Casada

---