Every summer I buy a watermelon bigger than I have any business buying. It looks perfectly reasonable in the store, and then it sits on my counter for a week while the rest of us negotiate with it.
Here’s the thing: it never lasts. By the time that melon is gone, I’ve worked it into at least three different dishes, which is why I’ve quietly stopped calling it a fruit and started calling it a whole meal system.
I’m not a professional cook. I’m the person who plans a nice dinner and then realizes in the late afternoon that I haven’t chopped anything. So if I can make watermelon work in my kitchen, it’ll work in yours.
Why watermelon wins all summer
It’s at its sweetest right now, which means you don’t have to do much to make it taste good. A whole melon stretches across breakfasts, snacks, salads, and drinks, which is a lot of eating for the price of one watermelon at the store.
And it’s more than 90% water. On a hot Portland afternoon, that’s the difference between a snack and actually feeling cooled down.
The other thing people miss: it goes sweet or savory. Feta, herbs, lime, chili powder, smoothies, cocktails — the mild sweetness plays nice with almost everything.
How to pick a watermelon that’s actually ripe
I’ve bought my share of disappointing ones, so I’ve learned to look for a few things in the store:
- Creamy yellow field spot. That’s where the melon rested on the ground. The deeper the yellow, the longer it had to ripen.
- It should feel heavy. A ripe melon is dense with juice, so it should feel heavier than its size suggests.
- Dull, not shiny. Glossy rinds tend to be less ripe than matte ones. Trust the flat finish.
- Even shape. Round or oval are both fine. Skip the ones with big flat spots or odd bumps.
Once it’s home, I cut it into cubes first, then let the week decide what it becomes.
Three ways I’ve actually used it this week
Watermelon smoothie
Watermelon practically makes its own smoothie. Blend it with fruit and yogurt and you’ve got a cool, bright breakfast or an afternoon pick-me-up that doesn’t require any cooking. On hot mornings, it’s the whole meal.
Watermelon salad with feta and avocado
This is the one that convinces people watermelon belongs outside the fruit bowl. Sweet melon, salty feta, fresh herbs — it’s the kind of plate that sits happily next to anything coming off the grill on a weekend.
Full recipe: watermelon salad with feta and avocado
Watermelon margarita
Watermelon brings natural sweetness to a frozen margarita without making it taste cloyingly sugary. It’s the drink that disappears fast at a summer gathering — and it’s easy to scale up in a pitcher.
Full recipe: watermelon margarita
And if you’re feeling really wild, dice the melon really small and stir it into guacamole. A little Tajin — that chili-lime seasoning from the spice aisle — on top, and it’s a whole different snack.
A note from Nora: The first time I tried watermelon in guacamole, I was skeptical in exactly the way I’m skeptical about most things that don’t fit in my head. Sam took one bite and didn’t say anything, which is his version of applause. We’ve done it twice since.
Maybe that’s the real deal with summer food: it doesn’t need to be complicated, it just needs to be the thing that’s right there when the weather turns. One melon, a few hours of heat, and a kitchen that isn’t afraid to improvise. If I can make it on a Tuesday, it’s a keeper.
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