Fill bowl with watermelon balls and other fruit of your choice.
Red, white and blue are the traditional colors used to celebrate the 4th of July, which is great news for fruit lovers because watermelons, cantaloupes, blueberries, strawberries and blackberries can make a great fruit salad. Fresh fruit is abundant at farmers markets across the state.
A watermelon fruit bowl makes a delicious and attractive side dish for a 4th of July celebration at the pool, beach, lake or backyard cookout.
A suggestion for making a fruit bowl is to make the night before to give the fruit plenty of time to chill in the refrigerator. Use the lip of a cup to help scallop the edges and, if you are feeling extra creative, try leaving a handle to turn your fruit bowl into a basket. Outline handle on top of melon and cut away portion to leave in shape of a basket. Scoop out red part of the melon to be returned to basket along with the other fruit.
Finally, use a star-shaped cookie cutter to cut the watermelon into fun shapes.
Melon Fruit Bowl
- Cut a slice off the bottom of the melon to make level.
- Cut top third off the melon.
- To make watermelon or cantaloupe balls, scoop out inside with melon-ball cutter or a measuring teaspoon.
- Using a cup as a guide, trace scallops around the edge of the hollowed shell. Then carve out scalloped edges following pattern.
- Fill shell with melon balls, small slices of peaches and other assorted fruit as desired.
Join us for Watermelon Day at one of the four state-operated farmers markets. Guests can get free samples of watermelon slices and pick up unique recipes to try at home. Watermelon days are on the following dates:
- July 7: Charlotte Regional Farmers Market
- July 21: Piedmont Triad Farmers Market
- July 27: State Farmers Market in Raleigh
- July 28: WNC Farmers Market in Fletcher