Watermelon Basket

Hi everyone! Hope you are all enjoying the summer so far (if it is summer where you are!) Our summers are short and sweet here in the beautiful Adirondack Mountains of New York, so I have been enjoying it while it lasts!

Thank you all so much for the great response to my last post, Raw Sprouted Bagels. They hit the spot for me when I am craving something "bready" :)

In today's post, I would like to share with you one of my favorite summertime treats, a watermelon basket. It is the perfect thing to bring to a party, BBQ, or potluck. It is naturally raw, and vegan!

Here are some step-by-step pictures to show you how easy it is to create this lovely basket:)

1.) Pick a melon that has a nice shape, and will sit flat. You can remove a sliver off the bottom to level it if needed.

2.) Make two parallel cuts in the center of the melon about 1 1/2 inches apart, going about halfway down the melon. The melon between the cuts will form the handle of the basket.

3.) Starting on either side of the handle, make a horizontal cut around the melon to the other side of the handle cut.

Be careful not to cut through the handle part. I had a "V" shaped knife, but a straight knife will work as well. You can make a scallop or zig-zag edge, or just leave it straight. If you have a serrated cutter used for pumpkins at Halloween, it works well for watermelon:)

4.) Repeat the cut on the other side of the handle, removing both cut-outs.

5.) Cut the melon around the inside of the handle,

and remove the juicy melon.

6.) Scoop out the melon. I used a large serving spoon.

My mini melon was thin skinned, so I left a little flesh to keep it sturdy. Larger melons can be scraped closer to the green part.

7.) Cut up the removed watermelon and mix it with your favorite fruits. If you follow food combining rules, just use other melons, like cantaloupe or honeydew.

8.) Fill the empty watermelon basket with the fresh fruit mixture. Depending on the amount of other fruit, you should have enough to fill the basket two times. Skewered fruit can be used if you prefer, and looks really pretty. I added some little flag toothpicks, for the upcoming Fourth of July holiday:)


Here is a picture of a straight cut basket:


If you would like a few more ideas for the upcoming weekend, please check out my Fourth of July post from last year,

or my Memorial Day post for more watermelon ideas:)












Thanks so much for stopping by my happy raw kitchen today, and I hope you all have a very happy and safe weekend!