National Watermelon Day

Happy National Watermelon Day! :D

Okay, I know it is not a widely known holiday or for that matter really celebrated, but our family takes National Watermelon Day very seriously.  It is a great day to indulge on watermelon for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  Watermelons are pretty interesting fruits as well, giving us plenty to talk about.

Here are our family’s favorite fun facts about watermelons-

• There are 300 different kinds of watermelons in the US and Mexico
• They are the perfect summer snack because they are 92% water making them so refreshing.
• The world’s heaviest watermelon weighed 268.6 lbs., now that is a lot of watermelon.
• People eat on average 16 lbs. of watermelon annually.
• Egyptian hieroglyphics show the first-ever watermelon harvest took place about 5,000 years ago.  They were often sealed into tombs of kings.

Now you can have the same useless trivia as we do.

There are so many recipes with watermelon that are often forgot.  People usually just eat them sliced, although it is wonderful that way, there are so many more possibilities when it comes to a delicious fruit like this.

Watermelon-Peach Salsa with Tomatoes-

Ingredients-

• ½ cup hot pepper jelly
• 1 tbsp. lime zest
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice
• 2 cups seeded and diced watermelon
• 1 cup peeled and diced fresh peaches
• 1/3 cup chopped basil
• 1/3 cup chopped chives
• 3 cups baby tomatoes, halved
• Salt and pepper
• Fresh basil springs to garnish

Directions-

• Whisk the pepper jelly, lime zest, and lime juice together and then stir in watermelon, peaches, basil, and chives.
• Season the baby tomatoes with salt and pepper to taste.  Mix with salsa, and serve with basil if desired.  Enjoy!

Don’t be nervous at the thought of warm watermelon, Grilled Watermelon Slices are delicious-

Ingredients-
• Several slices of watermelon
• 2 limes, juices
• ½ a limes zest
• 3 tbsp. honey
• 2 tsp. water
• A few dashes of cayenne pepper
• A few pinches of salt

Directions-

• Preheat the grill to high.  Cut watermelon into 1 inch thick slices and lightly brush each side with honey and place on grill until browned, about 2 minutes.
• In a small bowl mix the rest of the ingredients and drizzle mixture over watermelon slices on place.
• Enjoy!

And for a little adult beverage, Frozen Watermelon Margaritas are very tasty-

Ingredients-

• 1 ½ cups watermelon, cubed
• 1 cup tequila
• ½ cup lime juice
• ½ cup orange liqueur
• 1-2 tbsp. sugar
• ½ tsp. salt
• 3 cups ice

Directions-

• Puree watermelon, add the rest of the ingredients and blend until desired consistency.  Divide among glasses and garnish with lime and watermelon slice.
• Enjoy!

With your new fun facts and superb watermelon recipes, National Watermelon day is going to be WONDERFUL!

Go green and stay keen!

Julie