Eat watermelon fresh off the rind, mix it into a cold tomato-watermelon gazpacho, or crush it into juice. You can freeze watermelon chunks or crushed watermelon to make ice cubes to use in drinks or smoothies, or partly freeze it to make a cool, refreshing, slushy treat.
You can also spice it up with salt, pepper, lime, or chili as a snack or to add to a salad. Try combining watermelon with peaches, mint, a little feta cheese, and farro for a summery whole-grain dish. Or, leaving the rind on, grill wedges (about 2 minutes per side) to caramelize the fruit’s sugars, and serve plain or with a sauce made from honey, garlic, and chili oil or chili crisp.
Toast watermelon seeds and add to salads or in place of pumpkin or sunflower seeds in recipes. The rind can be used in a variety of ways (cut the green parts off before cooking). Recipes from the Watermelon Board suggest grating it and using it in place of cabbage in coleslaw, roasting and topping it with Parmesan, or slicing and including it in a stir-fry to add some crunch.
