Fruit Filled Watermelon Food

WATERMELON CUPS

Steps:

• Using a small melon baller or measuring spoon, scoop out the center of each watermelon cube, leaving a 1/4-in. shell (save flesh for another use)., In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; spoon into watermelon cubes.

WATERMELON SHARK

Steps:

• Cut off the stem end of the watermelon at an angle slightly less than 45 degrees. Reserve the piece. Set the watermelon cut-side down on a work surface.
• To make the jaws and teeth: Find the brown dot that grows at the top center of the watermelon. Measure about 1 inch down and cut a large wedge from the side to make the gaping jaws of the shark. Reserve the wedge.
• Cut a 1-inch-wide strip of paper. Use the paper as a guide to lightly draw a 1-inch line at the top and bottom of the shark's jaws with a pen or marker. Use a Y-shaped vegetable peeler and a paring knife to trim away the green and make 2 bands of white, taking care not to poke all the way through. Cut and scoop out the watermelon flesh, keeping the pieces as large as possible. Leave about an inch or so of flesh in the bottom of the mouth to act as a bowl to hold the fruit. Use a paring knife to cut triangles out of the white bands along the jaw to make teeth.
• To make the fin: Cut out a 3 1/2-inch-high fin from the reserved bottom piece of watermelon. Cut off the flesh so one side is white and the other is green. Attach the fin with 2 toothpicks about 2 to 3 inches up from the bottom of the watermelon. (Tip: Use a small meat mallet to gently hammer in the toothpicks if the watermelon is very hard.)
• To make the eyes: Cut 2 eye-shaped ovals, about 3 inches long and 2 inches high, out of paper. Toothpick them to the shark about 2 inches up from the fin and about 3 inches apart. Lightly trace around the outside of the paper with a pen or marker, then remove the paper. Use a paring knife to cut out the rind on the inside of the eyes, taking care to cut only into the white of the rind without exposing the flesh. Cut 2 strips of the rind to create menacing eyebrows. Attach a blueberry with a toothpick towards the front of each eye. Stick a second toothpick above each eye to attach the eyebrow.
• Cut any large pieces of reserved watermelon flesh into planks and use the cutters to make fish. Peel the cantaloupe and honeydew and slice down the sides of the melon until you get to the seeds to make planks. Cut into more fish. Save any melon scraps for another use.
• Set the shark on a large serving platter. Pour the remaining berries into his mouth. Add fish to the mouth and spilling onto the platter around the shark. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

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.

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:

• 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.