By Eileen Goltz, Special to JTNews
Back in the day (yeah, like I’m so old), Labor Day was not only the last hurrah of the summer vacation — it was the day before school started. Now, Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a day of respite for students who’ve already started classes (and a celebration for child-weary parents around the country) and a day of food, food and more food, usually served in a picnic state of mind. Yes, I know that “Labor Day” is a creation and celebration of the labor movement in the U.S. of A. and is dedicated to honoring the social and economic accomplishments of American workers, but truly it’s also about a fun day stuffing your face.
While many would say this should be a column that glorifies the grill, I choose to honor one of my favorite fruits: The beloved and ever-popular watermelon.
The watermelon is a guiltless food. You can have almost as much as you want and never even notice a blip when you jump on the scale. It’s over 90 percent water and the rest is pure enjoyment. It’s also really good for you. Once the rind is discarded, a two-pound wedge contains about half the daily adult requirement of vitamins A and C and it won’t clog your arteries. This fruit is almost perfect.
Most of us have only had the pleasure of eating watermelon just as nature intended it, cold and right out of the rind. Sometimes, however, if I can’t wait and if the melon isn’t quite as cold as I want it to be, I add a little sprinkle of salt and gobble it down, fighting my kids tooth and nail for the last piece. The salt brings out the sweetness.
When choosing your watermelon, look for a firm, symmetrical melon free from bruises, cuts or dents. Lift it up. It should be heavy for its size. The underside of the watermelon should have a creamy yellow spot from where it sat on the ground and ripened in the sun.
Watermelons should be available for a few more weeks, so I figured I’d better find some recipes that took my watermelon obsession to a higher level and let me incorporate it into totally new areas of my menus.
The following recipes are the happy results of my search. There’s something for everyone and then some.
Fun watermelon facts:
The first recorded watermelon harvest occurred nearly 5,000 years ago in Egypt.
There are over 1,200 varieties of watermelons grown in close to 100 countries worldwide.
Watermelon is 92 percent water.
Watermelon’s official name is Citrullus Lanatus and is a cousin to cucumbers, pumpkins and squash.
Early explorers used watermelons as canteens.
The first cookbook published in the U.S. in 1796 contained a recipe for watermelon rind pickles.
Watermelon Popsicles (parve)
Popsicle molds — sold at many stores
2-1/2 cups watermelon, diced and seeded
1/2 cup fresh raspberries or frozen unsweetened, thawed
6 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs. light corn syrup
Combine all ingredients in blender; purée until smooth. Strain into 2-cup glass measuring cup, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Pour purée into popsicle molds, dividing equally. Freeze overnight. (Can be prepared one week ahead. Keep frozen.)
Makes about 8 1/4-cup popsicles.
Watermelon, Cantaloupe, and Red Pepper Salsa (parve)
A 1-pound piece watermelon
A 1-pound piece cantaloupe
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 small sweet onion, such as Vidalia
1/3 cup packed fresh cilantro sprigs
1/2 fresh jalapeño chili
2 Tbs. chopped fresh mint leaves
1 Tbs. fresh lime juice
Remove rinds and seeds from melons and cut fruit into 1/4-inch dice. Cut bell pepper into 1/4-inch dice. Finely chop onion and cilantro and, wearing rubber gloves, finely chop jalapeño with seeds. In a bowl, toss together all ingredients and season with salt. Salsa may be made four hours ahead and chilled, covered.
Makes about 4 cups.
Watermelon Gazpacho (parve)
6 cups watermelon, cubed and seeded
1-1/2 cups chopped golden delicious apples
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
1 Tbs. dried basil
1/2 Tbs. salt
1/4 Tbs. coarsely ground pepper
1/4 Tbs. chili powder
1 Tbs. cider vinegar
Purée watermelon and pour into large mixing bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Refrigerate, covered, at least one hour to blend flavors.
Watermelon Berry Slushie (parve)
4 cups watermelon, cubed and seeded
10 oz. package frozen raspberries, unthawed
12 oz. bottle sparkling mineral water
Place a single layer of watermelon in a shallow pan; freeze until firm. Remove watermelon from freezer, and let stand five minutes. Drop watermelon through food chute of a food processor or blender with the motor running. Add frozen chunks of raspberries alternately with mineral water, processing until smooth.
Makes 5 1/2 cups.
Watermelon Salsa (parve)
3 cups watermelon, diced medium
1/2 cup red onion, diced small
1/2 cup sweet red pepper, medium
1/2 cup Florida tomato, diced medium
1 tsp. jalapeño pepper, minced
1 Tbs. garlic, minced
2 Tbs. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 Tbs. fresh basil, chopped
1 Tbs. fresh parsley, chopped
1-1/2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
In a bowl, combine all ingredients, toss gently and refrigerate for two hours. Serve cold or slightly warm with your favorite fish or chicken.
Makes 4-6 servings
Watermelon Vinaigrette (parve)
4 cups fresh watermelon, chopped and drained
1/4 cup red onion, diced small
2 Tbs. honey
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
3/4 cup oil
2 Tbs. fresh basil, chopped
1 Tbs. fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor and blend for approximately 30 seconds. Drizzle over mixed salad greens and garnish with sliced watermelon.
Makes approximately 2 cups.
Watermelon Muffins (dairy or parve)
1/2 cup watermelon juice
1/2 cup watermelon pulp
1-1/2cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
6 Tbs. butter, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk on non dairy substitute
1/2 cup raisins
2 eggs
1 pinch salt
Preheat oven to 350º. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In an electric mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar; add eggs. Whip in the milk, juice, pulp and raisins. Add wet mixture to the dry ingredients and spoon the batter into a greased muffin pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden on top. Transfer the muffins to wire rack to cool.
Makes 12 muffins.
Watermelon Lemonade (parve)
6 cups watermelon, cubed and seeded
1/2 cup strawberries
1/2 cup blueberries
1 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
Place the watermelon, raspberries and water in a blender; cover and blend until smooth. Strain through fine mesh strainer into pitcher (you can leave some pulp in if you like). Stir in sugar and lemon juice until sugar dissolves. Refrigerate until chilled, about one hour.
Makes 4 servings. Don’t try and double this, just make batches.
Mad’s Watermelon Feta Bruschetta (parve)
Created by Jon “The Mad Chef” Ashton for the National Watermelon Promotion Board.
2 cups diced watermelon
2 Tbs. olive oil (preferably extra virgin)
1 cup feta cheese, cut into fine dice
2 Tbs. minced fresh chives
2 Tbs. minced fresh mint
4 tsp. balsamic vinegar, or to taste
For 16 toasts:
A 24-inch-long loaf of crust Italian or French bread
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
In a bowl, toss together watermelon, cheese, chives, mint, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste and mound about 1 Tbs. on oiled side of each toast.
To make toasts: Prepare grill or preheat broiler. With a serrated knife, cut bread crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange bread slices in one layer in a shallow baking pan and bake in middle of oven until golden, about 10 minutes.