watermelon – Poore Amy

Summer is quickly coming to a close. *sigh*

I really hate to see it go! It’s been a very busy summer, as you can tell from my lack of posts, but it has been a great one!!

I do love the fall too but it means winter is just around the corner and I’m not much of a fan.

I think the part I dislike the most is the short days – I’m hoping our state decides to stop the time change so even if the days are cold they will not be so short!

If you are like me and want to grasp on to the little bit of summer we have left – here is a great recipe that has summer written all over it!

Summer Sangria

1 (750 ml) bottle of dry rose wine
1/2 cup elderflower liqueur
2 sprigs of mint, divided
1.5 cups cantaloupe, cubed, divided
1.5 cups seedless watermelon, cubed, divided
1.5 cups honeydew, cubed, divided
1.5 cups club soda, chilled

In a large pitcher, combine the wine, liqueur, 1 sprig of mint and a cup each of the cantaloupe, watermelon and honeydew. Cover, chill for at least 8 hours.

Place the remaining melon cubes in a baking dish in a single layer, cover and freeze.

Remove the mint from the chilled mixture and discard.

Add in the other sprig of mint, club soda and frozen melon. Stir and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

-abp

I stepped totally out of the box on this one, folks.

This is a recipe I would normally skipped right on past.

But it was the Fourth of July and what better fits that holiday more than watermelon?

– Not much.

And who is trying to lose baby weight?

– Me.

So I thought “why not?”.

I was still skeptical even as I filled the bowls but after all the garnish was applied, it all came together.

The flavors were amazing together and every bite was better than the last!!

Watermelon Gazpacho

1 large tomato, pureed
1/2 Serrano chile
2 cups cubed fresh watermelon
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1/2 cucumber, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill, plus more for garnish
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

In a blender, puree the tomatoes, chile, and 1/2 of the watermelon. Pour in the red wine vinegar and olive oil and pulse. Add the onion, cucumber and dill and season with salt and pepper. Puree until smooth. Pour into chilled bowls and sprinkle with dill, feta, and remaining watermelon.