Wonderful watermelon

Watermelon Star Cake

1 watermelon, oblong and seedless
16 oz whipped cream or light frosting
8 oz blueberries
8 oz strawberries
1 dash powdered sugar

Wash the watermelon and pat dry. Cut a three-inch thick slice from the center of an oblong, seedless watermelon. Place flat on a cutting board and use an oversized star-shaped cookie cutter (or sharp kitchen knife) to cut a star shape. Set on paper towel to drain excess water. Place on a serving dish or cake stand. Pipe whipped cream or a light frosting between the bottom edge of the star and the plate. Dot with blueberries. Frost the cake with topping and arrange blueberries and cut strawberries on top. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

Watermelon Lime Popsicles

4 cups watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup sugar (or more to taste according
to the sweetness of your melon)
popsicle mold and popsicle sticks

Toss watermelon, lime juice and sugar into a blender. Whirl until smooth. Taste for sweetness. Add more sugar if needed. Pour into popsicle mold and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Alaska from Scratch

Creamy Watermelon Sherbet

5 cups watermelon puree (about 1 large watermelon)
1 ½ Tbs unflavored gelatin
1 ½ cups sugar
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 ½ cups milk
1 ½ tsp fresh lime juice

Soften gelatin in ½ cup of the watermelon puree. Let stand 5 minutes at room temperature and then heat gently to dissolve gelatin. Cool slightly. Add remaining watermelon puree, sugar, nutmeg, lemon juice and milk to gelatin mixture. Freeze in ice cream freezer according to appliance directions.

Watermelon Crab Cups

Makes 8 crab cups

8 watermelon cups (see below)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sweet pickle relish
1 tsp minced fresh dill
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped scallions
2 eggs hard boiled, chopped or grated 1
lb cooked crabmeat, rinsed and picked over for shells

Make the watermelon cups by cutting 3 inch tall and 3-inch wide cylinders of seedless watermelon. Hollow out the cylinders to form 'cups' reserving the watermelon from the center for another use or to snack on while cooking. Once the cups are made, keep them on a paper towel until ready to fill and serve. The cups can be made ahead of time and covered on a tray and refrigerated until ready. Make the filling by mixing together the mayonnaise, relish, dill, celery, scallions and hard-boiled eggs. Fold in the crab. Fill the watermelon cups and enjoy.

Watermelon Frosty

Makes 2 servings

2 1/4 cups frozen watermelon cubes
1/2 cup water or juice if needed to blend (depends on how frozen your watermelon is)
2 shots vodka (or substitute with more water or fruit juice)
2 Tbs honey
1/2 lemon, squeezed
1/2 frozen banana

Blend all ingredients together in blender. Pour in glass and garnish with frozen watermelon rind or wedge of lemon.

Watermelon, Feta & Mint Salad with Lime Marinated Onions

Makes 2 servings

1 small red onion, thinly sliced
Juice of 1 lime
3 cups watermelon, cubed
1/4 cup feta, cubed or crumbled
2 Tbs olive oil
6 mint leaves, chiffonade (use kitchen scissors
to cut into thin strips)
Coarse sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Place red onion and lime juice in a medium bowl, allow to sit while you are preparing the remaining ingredients (15 minutes). Add watermelon and feta to bowl and gently stir to combine. Don't be too vigorous as it will break down the feta. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with mint and give it one last toss to combine ingredients. Serve immediately, or place in fridge and serve within four hours. The watermelon gets a little funky if it sits in the fridge too long.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Arctic Garden Studio.