Burgers, hot dogs, potato salad, corn on the cob, fruit… you know it all: staples of a good ‘ol cookout. It’s everything to make even the most hard-hearted cynics shed a tear at a beautifully stocked picnic table. Even though we are nearing the end of August (gasp!), I do believe we have a few more good barbeque days left.
Speaking of which, is anyone going away for the lo-o-ong weekend next week? My husband and I are heading to the Poconos to spend some time with friends! Hopefully, the weather will be cooperative for everyone planning to squeeze out a few, final bits of summer.
If you do happen to be cooking out within the next few weeks, I have THE recipe for you idea of the century! Okay, so that may be a small exaggeration, BUT I do hesitate to list this post as a “recipe”, for reasons that will soon become apparent.
Honestly, it’s somewhat of a food-DIY, a crafty-kitchen-concoction, if you will. Nevertheless, if you want to win impress everyone at your next get-together, continue reading. Also, if I have piqued your interest and you’re curious… keep reading! And, if you want me to quit rambling, well… you know it: keep reading.*
Ingredients & Materials For Your Watermelon Bowl:
- Watermelon (Try finding one with a flatter side to prevent unnecessary rolling)
- Assorted Fruits
- 1.5 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- Approximately 1 tbsp Poppy Seeds
- Heavy Duty Knife
- Scooping Spoon
- Paper Towels
- Mixing Bowls
Method To Create Your Watermelon Bowl:
- Rinse and chop your assorted fruit into bite-sized pieces. Except, like, the grapes. Obviously. Unless you like tiny grape pieces… to each their own. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, vanilla, and poppy seeds. Pour it over the assorted fruit; toss lightly, and set aside, again.
- Set your watermelon on a clean countertop and roll it around a little to see where it falls naturally. This will pinpoint the flattest part, creating a perfect “base” for your watermelon bowl.
- Once you have located what is to be the bottom of your bowl, slice off the top quarter of the watermelon. It doesn’t have to be perfect at this point, but be careful not to cut too deep or low at first. Feel free to discard this top section or save it for later (anyone else like to snack while preparing a snack? guilty…)
- Now you have to start scooping. The basic concept here is to hollow out the inside of the watermelon enough to serve as a watermelon bowl for the rest of your fruit salad (put the watermelon pieces into a large bowl to save for later).
- The easiest method that I found is to cut out large chunks (carefully avoiding cutting through the edges) and then use a spoon to carve around the curved edges, stopping when you begin to see the color change from pink to green.
- This part can be a little messy, so don’t be afraid to set some paper towels inside the watermelon to soak up some liquid once it is hollowed out. The fruit salad you add in will contain juice of its own, so collecting some of the watermelon-juice from the bottom will reduce the weight of the watermelon bowl and keep your fruit from becoming soup.
- Now we start on the decorative edging; the zig-zag shape may seem intimidating but is really very simple. To begin, swiftly chop two downward strokes, about an inch long, creating a “V” shape. Discard the loose, inner triangle.
- Continue this pattern all the way around the edge; imagine you are slicing many “V”s in a line, each top point touching the next (or like one, long “W” that never ends). Continue discarding the inner triangle pieces (unless you can find some creative use for them, in which case, please share!) I found it to be easier and more effective to chop quickly with the thicker part of the knife, as opposed to gingerly slicing back and forth. It doesn’t have to be perfect, after all.
- Once you have completed your border, place the prepared fruit salad inside of your watermelon bowl and VOILA! Cover with cling wrap until ready to serve.
I really like to do this little “kitchen craft” when I have some time because, not only is it cute and quirky, but it also eliminates the need for bringing home a sticky bowl after it’s been sitting in the sun all day! YAY for reducing the number of dishes to do.
(Not to mention, I always forget to take home my bowls/utensils after an event and often have to hunt them down from various friends weeks later- oops!)
I hope you enjoyed this watermelon bowl idea! It’s not completely unique, though; one time when I was younger, my mom carved a cute whale out of a watermelon! Talk about creativity!
I’d love to hear from you! Do you have any ideas for a cool carving out of a watermelon? Leave a comment below!!
As always, if you’ve made it this far in the article, thanks!
Next Blog Posts of Interest: Travel (Vermont), Travel (Boston), and DIY (thirty-minute modern/chic home improvement). Stay tuned!
XOXO
-L
*Perhaps I shouldn’t have eaten so many cookies before writing this post… SUGAR-HIGH!
