Watermelon Fruit Salad Bowl Recipes

CARVED WATERMELON BOWL

Steps:

• To carve melon bowl, cut off top 1/4 of melon. Being careful not to cut through to melon, cut thin slice from bottom of melon so it will sit flat. Scoop out watermelon, leaving 1/2- to 1-inch-thick shell.
• Carve watermelon as shown in steps on right. Wrap melon bowl in plastic wrap to keep moist; refrigerate until ready to fill. At serving time, fill with cut-up fruit.

FRESH WATERMELON AND FRUIT SALAD

Steps:

• Slice the watermelon lengthwise about 1/3 of the way from the top.
• This will be your bowl so you may have to slice a small portion off the bottom in order for it to sit flat.
• Either ball or chunk the watermelon flesh.
• Hollow out the watermelon shell completely.
• Ball or chunk the remaining melons.
• Chunk the pineapple.
• Mix all the fruits in the melon bowl.
• Combine the juices, water and sugar together.
• Pour over the fruits and toss lightly.
• Chill if desired or serve immediately.

WATERMELON FRUIT BOWL

Steps:

• Slice the watermelon in half with a sharp knife, and scoop out the flesh.
• Chop up the watermelon flesh that was removed from the rind.
• Cut up your fruit and mix with the watermelon pieces.
• Put the watermelon and fruit mixture back inside the watermelon rind.
• To make the optional dressing, whisk together lemon juice and maple syrup, then combine with the fruit before transferring into the watermelon rind.

SHARK AND WAVES GIANT WATERMELON BOWL

Steps:

• Using a large chef's knife, cut both watermelons in half lengthwise through the stem. With a melon half flesh side up, cut vertical lines into the flesh (leaving rind intact) 1 inch apart and about 2 inches deep along the length of each half, leaving a 1-inch border of flesh on both ends. Repeat this process with the lines going in the opposite direction. Use a spoon to scoop out the watermelon pieces into a large bowl (it's okay if some of the spears break in half as you are doing this.) Repeat with the remaining melon halves. Use the spoon to remove as much of the flesh left in the watermelon halves as possible and save for another use.
• Cut 1 1/2 inches off both ends of 2 of the watermelon halves (these halves will become the middle parts of the bowl). Cut 1 1/2 inches off one end of the 2 remaining halves (these will become the bookends of your bowl). Use the flesh left in the watermelon ends to stamp out sharks with a 3-inch shark cookie cutter and set aside.
• Use a metal skewer to outline waves along the top edge of each watermelon half. Then carefully cut out the wave pattern using a sharp paring knife. Take one middle piece and one bookend piece and place the flat sides together to create half of the large bowl. Thread the metal skewer through the bottom of the watermelons to secure them together. Repeat this process with the remaining watermelon halves and another metal skewer to create the other half of the large bowl. Place both halves on a large platter with the two middle pieces pushed together (these parts do not need to be secured with a skewer as they will stay together on the platter).
• Fill the assembled watermelon bowl with the reserved watermelon chunks. Mix the berries and grapes together and scatter on top of the watermelon, covering it as much as possible, then add the melon sharks.

WATERMELON FRUIT BOWL

Steps:

• With a large, sharp knife, remove the top 1/4 section of the watermelon. With a melon baller, scoop flesh from inside of watermelon, removing as many seeds as possible. Leave 1/2 inch of flesh inside the shell of the watermelon. Scoop cantaloupe and honeydew in the same manner, removing as much flesh as possible, and discarding the rinds. Refrigerate fruits separately until ready to assemble.
• In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring water and sugar to a boil. Remove from heat, and continue stirring until sugar has completely dissolved. Add lemon zest, and set aside to cool.
• To serve, place watermelon balls, cantaloupe, honeydew, oranges, pineapple, strawberries, and grapes, in a large mixing bowl. Pour syrup over, and toss thoroughly. Transfer mixture to watermelon bowl, and serve. Set aside any fruit mixture that will not fit. There will be enough fruit to refill the bowl.

WATERMELON BABY CARRIAGE

Steps:

• With a sharp knife, cut a thin slice from bottom of melon so it sits flat. Lightly score a horizontal line halfway up sides and around the melon, leaving 5 in. from one end unmarked on each side for baby carriage hood., For hood, make another line around top of watermelon, connecting both sides of the horizontal line. Using the rounded edge of a biscuit cutter as a guide, mark a scalloped edge along all straight lines. With a long sharp knife, cut into melon along the scalloped lines, making sure to cut all the way through the melon rind. Gently pull off rind. Remove fruit from melon and removed section; cut fruit into balls or cubes and set aside., For the U-shaped handle, cut out a 5-in. square from the removed section of rind. Cut out the center and one end, leaving a 1-in.-wide handle. Break one toothpick in half. Attach handle to watermelon with toothpick halves., For wheels, position orange slices at base of watermelon and attach with toothpicks. To each orange slice with a lime slice and a red grape., In a large bowl, combine the cantaloupe, green grapes, strawberries, remaining red grapes and reserved watermelon. Spoon into baby carriage. Serve with poppy seed salad dressing.

WATERMELON BASKET FRUIT SALAD

Steps:

• Wash and dry all the fruit.
• With a large veggie peeler/melon carver cut the top third of the watermelon off making a decorative edge of either scallops or peaks. (I wish I had premium so I could post pix). When I was a kid I drew my decorative edge on the melon and carved it with a boning knife but it is faster and easier if you get a tool designed for carving. Scoop the melon out with a small cookie scoop and set aside.
• Cut the cantaloupe into 8ths and cut the rind off. With the french fry blade of your food processor, shred the cantaloupe and set aside. I learned this from Greg Patton host of Pattonly Cooking sponsored by Cuisinart.
• Cut the honeydew in half and seed it. With a melon baller make itty bitty balls and set aside. You can cheat and slice this in your food processer on the thickest blade.
• Cut the pineapple into 8ths and core it. Cut into chunks and set aside.
• Mix melons and pineapples together in a large bowl.
• Quarter the strawberries and mix with the remaining berries and grapes. Do not mix in the raspberries or they will be pulverized.
• Layer the fruits in the watermelon basket, first a layer of the melons and pineapple, then the berries then some raspberries. Save most of the raspberries for the top layer. Continue layering until your melon basket is full and save the remaining fruit in a baggie so you can re-fill the melon basket.
• That's all there is to it! You can carve handles on your basket or leave it open which works better on a buffet as it is easier to access the fruit.
• To make it extra fancy whip up an egg white and dip clusters of grapes in it, then roll in superfine sugar and let dry on waxed paper. Secure the little grape clusters in the edging of the melon basket with a toothpick. I did this for my mother once when she had her lady friends over and it really wowed them as a centerpiece.
• Hope you try this! Have fun doing it with your kids.