Watermelon Crawl Aka Spiked Watermelon Food

SPIKED WATERMELON POPS

Steps:

• In a blender, combine the watermelon, sugar, and vodka. Blend until the mixture is smooth. Add the mint and pulse once to combine. Pour the mixture into the pop molds. Insert the wooden sticks all the way down the inside the molds. Freeze for at least 10 hours or preferably overnight.
• To unfreeze the ice pops, insert the molds in hot water for 5 to 10 seconds. Serve immediately.

GRILLED WATERMELON

Steps:

• How to get your watermelon wedges: Cut the watermelon in half, place cut side down on the table, then cut into slices, about 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut each slice in half, creating two wedges (if your melon is really big, you may need to cut each slice into three wedges). You can leave the rind on or cut it off, totally up to you.
• Lightly sprinkle the wedges on both sides with the salt. Stand the wedges on their edges on a rack over a sink or pan and let them drain for half an hour.
• Preheat the grill to high.
• After the watermelon has drained, rinse each piece under cold running water. Place each piece between two folded paper towels and gently but firmly press to remove excess water. You should stop just when you feel the watermelon begin to crunch.
• Brush the watermelon lightly on both sides with the olive oil. Grill over high heat until grill marks have formed and the melon is slightly softened, about 5 minutes.
• Remove from grill and sprinkle with sea salt and a little fresh ground pepper.

SPIKED WATERMELON

Steps:

• Cut a hole in the top of the watermelon, wide and deep enough to insert a funnel.
• Pour as much vodka through the funnel as can be absorbed (1/2 cup to 1 cup), remove the funnel and replace the watermelon plug, Let sit for 4 hours and again, pour is as much vodka as can be absorbed, Repeat the process until all the vodka has been absorbed, (eventually all the vodka WILL be absorbed).
• Refrigerate and serve well chilled.
• When it's time slice it up and enjoy.
• NOTES: You can also use a food injector, this works well or you can cut a hole big enough to hold the neck of a fifth of vodka, allow it to sit 6-12 hours, 24 being better, serve with the bottle sticking out of the watermelon, You can experiment with liquors, I have heard rum works well too.

WATERMELON CRAWL- AKA SPIKED WATERMELON

Steps:

• Sneaky and Underhanded: Use any size syringe - or several- and inject the alcohol into the melon. Smaller needles will leave the least detectable marks! lol Refrigerate or pack in ice to get it really cold. (Very hard to do with champagne).
• Open and Honest: Remove rind from melon. Cut edible flesh into pieces, place in a huge bowl and douse with the alcohol. Refrigerate or pack in ice to get it really cold.
• Whole Melon: Cut a hole in the melon big enough to insert a funnel. SAVE the piece you removed to reinsert after all the alcohol has been absorbed. Pour alcohol into the melon through the funnel. We usually put the melon in a cooler and surround it with ice, place the funnel and fill it with alcohol- return several times to refill funnel.
• Note: We usually spike in the morning and let it sit until we are ready later that day. If leaving the rind on, don't let it sit too long as the outer rind of the melon will absorb much of the alcohol and the inner fruit will be a little weaker.
• PS I LOVE lots of the 'flavored' or infused alcohols they have available now BUT SAVE THEM for a drink. When I used them in this they were really gross with the melon. The exception being Coconut Rum. Steer clear of all those other flavors like banana, mango, etc -- .

DRUNKEN WATERMELON

Steps:

• Wash outside of watermelon.
• Cut a hole in the top of the watermelon.
• Pour all of the vodka in the watermelon.
• Put the watermelon (hole upwards) in the fridge for one day before eating.

RUSSIAN PICKLED WATERMELON

Steps:

• In a large nonreactive bowl or pot, stir together salt, sugar, pickling spices, cayenne, vinegar, garlic, celery, dill, and 8 cups water until salt and sugar dissolve.
• Submerge the watermelon wedges.
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 week and up to 2 weeks before serving.