Thursday, May 03, 2007

W is for...

W is for Watermelon.
Who: The Watermelon.
What: Watermelon is a fruit, and the most common type of melon.
Where: Originally from Africa, evidence of the seeds have been found in Ancient Egypt. Watermelons were being cultivated in the 1100's in China, and in the 1200's it was introduced to European countries.
When: Watermelon arrived in North America in the 1500's, but it was not until the 1940's when a hardier, disease resistant melon was designed that the melons were readily available in grocery stores.
Why: Besides being the ultimate summer treat, Watermelons are very good for you. They are low in calories and fat, a good source of Vitamins A, B and C, and high in lycopene.

Drunken Watermelon.



With a sharp knife, carefully cut a hole in the watermelon, large enough to fit a funnel. Place the watermelon on a plate and fill the funnel up with vodka. Let it sit until the watermelon has soaked up all the vodka, and fill the funnel up again. Repeat until the watermelon won't absorb any more vodka. Slice and serve.



Remember, this is full of alcohol! Do not serve to anyone who will be driving!




Watermelon Margarita.



2 cups chopped watermelon, rind removed
4 oz tequila
1 oz triple sec or other orange liqueur
lime wedges

Place the watermelon, tequila and triple sec in a blender or food processor. Whiz until smooth. Taste and add a bit of sugar if the watermelon is not very sweet. Pour into glasses and serve with lime on the side.


Fast Watermelon Sorbet



There's been recipes out there recently for banana "ice cream" which is simply frozen banana slices whizzed until smooth. This is the same thing. Chop up some watermelon and freeze until solid. Place in a food processor and blend until smooth.


Previous Alphabet Posts:
A is for Artichoke
B is for Beet
C is for Carrot
D is for Dogs
E is for Egg
F is for Fondue
G is for Garlic
H is for Hamburger
I is for Indian Food
J is for Jamie Oliver
K is for Kaffir Lime Leaves
L is for Lobster
M is for Mushroom
N is for Noodle
O is for Onion
P is for Pub Food
Q is for Quinoa
R is for Rice
S is for Sushi
T is for Taco
U is for Upside Down Desserts
V is for Vietnamese Food

14 comments:

MyKitchenInHalfCups said...

Watermelon! The very best! I lov'em but I'd never put alcohol in one.
My aunt and I used to have contest who could spit the seeds the farthest and who could eat a whole one!
I'm off to Seattle & Portland for 6 days and my packing only gets worse. Sorry I didn't get my self together on the sandwich questions.

Lis said...

And this is just another reason why I heart you so.. watermelon my most favorite of all favorites when it comes to fruit.. I can not WAIT for the good ones to hit our stores.. although I'm quite lucky this weekend, my brother in law is up from Florida and he stopped at a road side stand to pick me up a watermelon and sweet corn.. squeeee!

I think I'll reward him with a watermelon margarita. :D

xoxo

Cheryl said...

Oh now you got me in the summer mood. This is just the best to have on a hot summer day.

Emmy said...

This post made me think of Rob's crazy former boss. The vodka watermelon was his specialty. He even used to make it at work! I never had any though because I don't drink (actually have never had an alcoholic beverage in my life).

Hope you have great weekend :)

Brilynn said...

I need to plant watermelons again this year, I love having them straight from the garden. Of course, adding rum or vodka to the mix doesn't hurt either.

Peabody said...

Ha, ha. I am back in college all over again...drunken watermelon.

Anonymous said...

I've learnt something new about water melons today! You can funnel something into it! :O
I love watermelongs but it's pretty expensive in the States compared to SE Asia.

Helene said...

I think this is (maybe with pineapple) the only fruit I eat during the summer. I love watermelon sorbet and anything combining it with a little alcohol!

Judy said...

I always forget about watermelon, but it is one of my favourite foods. I could eat it every day, and usually in the summer, I do. But other than the occasional salad with feta and mint, I don't fancy it up much. Just cut up and yum!

Anonymous said...

I've got one for you. Search the ole' WWW for "Fire and Ice Salsa". It's watermelon salsa and it is sooooo good. Because the watermelon cools everything down so well, you can add extra "fire" for a nice bite. I forgot all about this recipe until I saw your post, Sara. Thanks!

foodiechickie said...

I love watermelon so much. Armenians eat their watermelon alone and a lot with feta cheese and some bread. The sweet and savory combo works well together.

Freya said...

Mmm, vodka and watermelon!!

Nora B. said...

I've always wondered how my friends made watermelon vodka... Have you tried yellow watermelons? I think it tastes pretty similar to red ones.

Elle said...

Watermelons are so much fun to eat, but drunken might be even better.