Vegan Cooking Tips
Quick and Easy Ideas for Watermelon
by Chef Nancy Berkoff, RD
Watermelon isn't just a juicy warm-weather treat. This fruit contains potassium and vitamins A and C. Humans have been feasting on watermelon for centuries. Although native to Africa, watermelons have been known in India since prehistoric times. The first recorded watermelon harvest took place 5,000 years ago in Egypt. Pictures of the fruit were found in paintings on the walls of ancient buildings.
We never get much beyond slicing watermelon and offering it as a terrific accompaniment to summer meals. Watermelon is a "total utilization" fruit, though. You can use the interior, the juice, the seeds, and the rind! It is perfect with sweet (cereal, vegan yogurt, baked goods) or savory (grilled veggie dogs or burgers, pasta salad) foods.
If you want to get melon-creative, cut watermelon into stick shapes and freeze in plastic bags — you'll have your own watermelon-sicles which can be eaten as a snack or tossed into the blender with other smoothie ingredients. (Watermelon daiquiris, anyone?). Or fill a scooped-out watermelon with sweet wine, port, lemonade, or cold ginger tea, then allow to marinate and serve as an appetizer or dessert.
Frozen Sweet Treats
"Helados" (ice cream) are a very popular ending to Latin meals; add watermelon to sorbet or frozen vegan ice cream to create your own helado. If simple desserts work for you, thinly slice watermelon, sprinkle with rose- or orange-blossom water, and serve chilled. Mango chunks or slices can be alternated with sliced watermelon for a colorful dessert. If fresh mango is not available, frozen mango will work.
To go savory with your watermelon, you can use watermelon cubes to "tame the heat" in curries and chilies, in veggie salad with onions and garlic, and in stir-fries or sautés (add small watermelon cubes at the last minute), or use as a garnish. Try a "watermelon steak" (a thick slice of watermelon, rind removed) topped with slices of ripe avocado and shredded jicama, chopped parsley, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. If you would like to get adventurous, do some web searches for a watermelon curry recipe, popular in Caribbean and South Asian cuisine.
When slicing watermelon, be certain to capture the juice to use in salads, smoothies, or other cold beverages. If you have extra watermelon, blend it to create watermelon juice, refreshing on its own or when combined with other fruit or veggie juices (carrot, cucumber, spinach, etc.).
Roasted Seeds
If your watermelon comes with seeds, save them! Use only the mature, black seeds, and discard the small, white seeds. Collect the seeds, place them in a colander or strainer, and rinse very well, until they are squeaky clean. Spread the cleaned seeds on a baking sheet and allow to dry in a sunny area, or in a low oven. You can skip this step and pat the seeds dry, but very dry seeds roast best.
Preheat a large frying pan and add seeds, stirring and turning until they are roasted. Taste one to see if the desired texture has been reached. When seeds are roasted, mix together a small amount of salt with water, pour over the seeds, and allow the water to dissolve while stirring. Store in an air-tight container.
Pickled watermelon rind takes a bit of time to prepare, but is really worth the effort! The Watermelon Council, www.watermelon.org, has step-by-step instructions. Pickled watermelon rind is a versatile condiment, so tasty that it's hard to refrain from just eating it right out of the jar!
