RECIPE - WOW carved watermelon fruit salad basket

Looking for something FUN, gorgeous and exciting to make?

Why not try a watermelon fruit salad basket?

Gorgeous and healthy!

This is perfect for entertaining, taking to your child's school for a healthy alternative to cake and cup cakes on their bday, and how wonderful to walk into a BBQ carrying one of these!

I have carved this into a basket after the way my great grandmother was so well known for doing, she always wired flowers around the handle and had it as a centerpiece you could also carve this into a shark or something equally exciting quite easily for kids birthday parties. Check pinterest for some ideas!

To make this watermelon basket you will need:

1 large seedless watermelon
1 rockmelon
1 honeydew melon
2 punnets blueberries
1 punnet strawberries
300g seedless grapes
1 melon baller tool
Syrup (optional)
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 cup caster sugar (or you could use stevia for a no added sugar alternative)
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons Buderim Ginger Cordial, undiluted

Method:

• In a saucepan combine the sugar and lime juice, stirring over a medium heat until sugar is dissolved.
• Bring to the boil, stirring constantly and then stir for one minute, remove from the heat.
• Allow to cool for 2 minutes and add the ginger cordial, stir well and set aside to cool completely.
• Draw an outline with a pencil on the outside of the watermelon, for a basketdraw draw an eye shaped section on each side, to make a bowl with a handle.
• Cut out two shapes carefully and remove and place all red flesh from the now visable "handle".
• Hollow out the watermelon and place flesh in a bowl.
• Using the melon baller cut balls from the watermelon flesh, rockmelon and honey dew, set aside.
• Wash the strawberries, grapes, blueberries, drain.
• Mix all fruit together very carefuly.
• Fill the watermelon basket with the fruit.
• Decorate the handle of the basket with fesh flowers attched with some thin wire (optional).
• Pour the ginger and lime dressing into a decorative jug.
• Serve at the centre of the table and drizzle some of the dressing on as you serve each bowl of fruit salad.

Notes:

• Fruit can be varied according to personal preference and seasons.
• A very refreshing and colourful dish.
• Perfect for entertaining or taking to a party.
• Left over melon flesh from the balling is perfect for adding to delicious smoothies!

Toddler Tips:

• A wonderful recipe for getting children excited about fruit!
• Great for kids parties.
• Perfect sized fruit pieces for small mouths.

This recipe was blogged and produce for the Maleny Supa IGA Local Product Local Recipe Cards.

Recipe and photography (c)RebeccaMugridge2012