The Fruits of Summer

I’m a huge fan of almost every summer fruit, and have been enjoying a great many of them this summer. A few weeks back Lynn posted about her experiences with blackberries. I don’t usually eat blackberries plain, but have mixed them with strawberries and raspberries this summer and found them to be delightful. However, the star of my summer fruit eating this year has been watermelon.

I don’t mean those humongous, rather mealy and tasteless long watermelons I usually find in the grocery stores. I mean the small, almost round watermelons that when cut open, reveal firm, red, and extremely tasteful fruit.

I haven’t been doing anything particularly creative with watermelon. I just cut it into cubes, and eat it straight. No embelishments. No sauces. Just pure watermelon.

However, last night I discovered a recipe for watermelon salad that sounds pretty simple. You just add some fresh mint, olive oil, lime juice, and a bit of feta cheese (and I do love feta). Intrigued, I started looking for more recipes and discovered there are any number of things I could do with watermelon, ranging from salsas to soups, to beverages (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic). Why I could even cut out a plug in the top, pour in a cup of alcohol, and later eat the alcohol-laced fruit. Amazing! I’m not much for making my own salsas, but am thinking of giving the watermelon salad a try.

Have any of you ever made any recipes using watermelon? If so, would you be willing to share your experiences? And if you like summer fruits, what has been the star of your summer fruit eating season?

LinnieGayl