Watermelon Treats

Besides inhaling this sweet juicy summertime melon by the slice, I've been whipping up everything from margaritas to martinis to the classic watermelon feta salad.

I even dropped a watermelon cube in a glass of Prosecco which naturally deserved an instagram shot and sparked lots of interest on Twitter. Just a little flare to sweeten the bubbly!

I made a gigantic batch of Watermelon Jalapeno Margaritas for the Fourth of July boating excursion and they were a huge hit! Prior to preparing a full fledged beach worthy batch I had to do a little taste testing and made a smaller version of one for myself - straight up martini style because my zig zag martini glasses make for a much more fun presentation than those margarita glasses not yet in my repertoire of glassware. And really, what's not to love about a versatile cocktail?

Since I am pretty sure you'll want an entire pitcher on hand, the recipe for the crowd sized version unveiled....

Watermelon Jalapeno Margaritas

-1/2 a watermelon - roughly chopped into small pieces

- 12 limes

- 2 jalapenos - seeds removed and diced

- 2 cups tequila

- 1 cup triple sec

1) Add the watermelon, the juice of 12 limes and the jalapenos to a blender.

If your blender is not large enough, work to puree in batches.

2) Strain the mixture into a pitcher through a fine sieve to avoid any excess watermelon or jalapeno seeds.

3) Stir in Tequila and Triple Sec

4) Serve over ice (even thought I didn't in the glamor shots, I did at the beach) and garnish with a watermelon and jalapeno slice. (And vise versa, the beach saw no fancy garnish.)Note: If you are only preparing one or two drinks simply forgoe the route of the blender and instead muddle and pour the ingredients directly into a shaker.

This produces some deceivingly potent margaritas (or was that just the effects of drinking in the sun?) All the elements play nicely together - the watermelon juices effortlessly mask the taste of the tequila while the lime and jalapeno temper the sweetness of the watermelon. The kick of the jalapeno is subtle but present. Not to mention, the cocktail itself lends a beautiful shade of bubble gum pink!

I'm pretty sure you could substitute a host of other summer fruits and this marg-tini would still be a winner. Raspberry, Mango, Strawberry, Peach.....endless summer combination are to be had! Cheers!

For our 4th of July dinner I paired a juicy Watermelon Feta Salad with scallops wrapped in bacon, roasted broccoli and some Near East Rice Pilaf. My friend Gretchen made this salad last Labor Day Weekend (it also goes great with corn on the cob and lobster.)

Watermelon Feta Salad

-1/2 a watermelon, seeded & cubed

-3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

-1/4 cup sliced basil

-2 tsp olive oil

-1 tsp balsamic vinegar

-salt and pepper to taste

1) Toss the watermelon, feta and basil in a large bowl.

2) Whisk the vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper

3) Pour over salad and toss. Serve immediately.

Watermelon and Feta make quite a pair; this salad is quick and easy not to mention a super satisfying and refreshing accompaniment to a summer meal.

How have you been enjoying the fruits of summer? What else can I make with watermelon?

Backyard Bash

On Saturday we road tripped to Randolph, MA where my friend DeMane and her sister DaNice hosted a BBQ! There was plenty of good food, good friends, good beer and competitive games.

Adam and I fueled up with breakfast at Boston Common Coffee Co. Iced Chai with whole milk for me, Iced Coffee with skim milk for him. I also enjoyed a ham, egg & cheese croissant.

Derek and Gretchen picked us up around 2:30 (yay for friends in the city with a car!) The Harpoon Summer Vacation Mix Pack was purchased for the party. Harpoon Crystal Wheat (exclusive to the Summer Vacation Mix Pack!)
UFO Hefeweizen
Harpoon IPA
Harpoon Summer BeerVariety is key. I also tried Woodchuck Hard Cider for the first time. This is the original Amber flavor. Sweet, but not too sweet, with a crisp finish. DeMane passed around appetizers including this hand-cut watermelon basket which had watermelon, pineapple and cantaloupe slices. Meanwhile DaNice fired up the grill.

Yes, there was your standard hot dogs and hamburgers and pasta salad. But there was also an impresive selection of other side salads and meats. Gretchen made a tabouli salad with roasted veggies. (And a peach cobbler which missed the camera.) We brought mini cannolis and cupcakes from Bova's.I mean really, why would I need to bake when I have an abundance of pastry shops outside my front door?Some of us played Badminton and also Croquet. It was so nice to be enjoying the outdoors in a spacious backyard. There was a large turnout at the party, despite my lack of people pictures. I was actually meeting a lot of the families and friends in attendance for the first time. I was happy to put some of the names behind the long running Reality Pool emails turned blog to faces! Side Note: The Reality Pool blog commenced with this Season's Top Chef - $20 for two picks and a hilarious recap of the episode each week. Unfortunately, I had to pack my knives and go from the pool a couple weeks ago. I think I've mentioned before that my picks were Kenny and Alex. Bummer that the Black Lightning got the shaft / wasn't consistent week to week and even more of a bummer that Alex turned out to be such a creep. Anywhoo - I got to meet Mama! and Brownie! and not in the pool but I was also very happy to meet DeMane's nieces!
My to-go loot included a plate of chicken, a whoopie pie and a clementine. Since I don't have a grill or a backyard, I treasure days spent in such settings. Thanks De and DaNice for being great hostesses and throwing an awesome BBQ!!

On Sunday we began our day like this:Recap to follow.

Grilled Watermelon Salad

Sounds strange doesn't it? Well, it is strange but cool and refreshing. This isn't something I'll have on a regular basis because it's well....odd...but it was interesting enough to make for company and it provoked discussion and interest. In the future I would let the watermelon cool a little bit before placing it over the arugula but that's my preference. One of my guests said she liked it warm because it melted the feta a bit. I lighly dressed this salad with extra virgin olive oil and a splah of balsamic vinegar. It doesn't need much. You make want to make the balasamic reduction, I made it but didn't like it, so I didn't serve it. Whatever you decide is fine with me just give it a try and you'll be sure to get some ooohs and aaahs.


Grilled Watermelon Salad
Courtesy of Claire Robinson

Ingredients:

1/2 (5-pound) seedless watermelon
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt (specialty salt is great here, if on hand)
2 cups fresh baby arugula, washed and dried
1 cup goat cheese, crumbled, preferably a French Chevre
Fresh finely cracked black pepper

Directions:

Stand the watermelon half cut side down on a cutting board and slice away the rind, leaving a solid block of melon. Turn the block on its side and cut it into 8 squares, roughly 3 by 3 inches and 1-inch thick.

Pour the vinegar into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced to a thick syrup consistency. Set aside.

Heat a nonstick grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle just enough olive oil over watermelon slices to thinly coat and place on hot grill pan. Grill each side about 2 minutes until grill marks appear; transfer to a plate and season with salt.

To assemble the salads, put about 1/4 cup of baby arugula on a serving plate, followed by a grilled slice of watermelon in the center, and top with a tablespoon of crumbled cheese and another 1/4 cup arugula. Add another watermelon slice and another tablespoon of cheese. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Finish each salad with a very light drizzle of olive oil and balsamic syrup. Dust with black pepper and serve immediately.