Your summer to-do list must always include serving and eating delicious food. Your food list should not overlook watermelon.
Have you tried watermelon dippers or watermelon fries yet? Read on my foodie friends.
I’m not an expert at picking out watermelon but I’ve read that there’s a few things to keep in mind. One: no matter what the size, it should be heavy. Two: if you knock on it, it should have a hollow sound. Three: (the most important tip in my opinion) look for a yellow spot on the melon. If it has a yellow spot it means the watermelon is ripe. If it has a white spot it means it’s still not ripe and you should keep on searching the watermelon patch.
I hope these tips help in your watermelon shopping because there’s nothing worse than getting a watermelon and finding out its still white inside when you cut it. It’s the worst! Especially if you want to eat it right away.
There are many ways to cut open a watermelon.
For the longest time I would cut it in quarters and then again in triangles for an easy grab and go platter. That is until I found out there’s a way cooler way. It was definitely an OMG moment. Followed by, how did I not know this before?
Folks, it’s called watermelon dippers and watermelon fries. First, the dippers. Cut your melon in half, then cut it in one inch thickness length wise. Turn it 90 degrees and cut again lengthwise. It’s super simple and will take you minutes. Look at the cutting outline from the picture, it almost looks like checkers – little squares.
You can serve it as is, on a cutting board, as the only thing people have to do is grab a section and pull it out. If you’re more of a visual person and want a step-by-step instruction, there’s lots of videos on YouTube.
“Life is like watermelon, sweet, but you have to spit out the seeds.” – Unknown
To make watermelon fries you’re going to take it a step further. Take each dipper and cut the rind off. After that, you’re going to cut it in half lengthwise and then half again, lengthwise. As you move along you’ll see how they form the shape of fries.
Watermelons are an extremely juicy fruit. That’s part of their tasty appeal. Actually, did you know it’s both a fruit and a vegetable? It’s a sweet fruit grown from seed but also part of the gourd family. Back to the juices — I try to cut down on the sloppiness of the watermelon juice when making watermelon fries and dippers by placing them on top of paper towels to drain the excess before serving.
Remember, presentation is everything. Put the watermelon fries on a plate, like you’d serve French fries, with the addition of a coconut lime dip on the side of the plate. A super simple recipe that includes coconut yogurt, lime juice and coconut sugar.
This combo of watermelon fries and dip is amazingly delicious. If coconut is a big no no in your house or when serving with friends due to allergies – there are other equally delicious dips to make, like, a fruit dip or honey vanilla yogurt dip. Yum!
“Good food is always sweeter when shared with good friends.” – Unknown
I hope you enjoy this delicious summer watermelon treat as much as I do. You can serve it on its own as a summer’s day treat — the kids will love this one! It’s also a wonderful appetizer to serve at a BBQ or anytime during the summer as its light and refreshing. It still leaves lots of room for the BBQ goods. Simple plus delicious means it’s a no brainer, you need to make it. Watermelon dippers and fries are definitely fit to eat.
Happy summer and enjoy!
Erin Sulley is a self-confessed foodie who lives in Mount Pearl. Email [email protected]Twitter: @ErinSulley Instagram: @erinsulley
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