Watermelon

Serves 4 Vegetable oil (for brushing) 1/4 large watermelon 1/4 bottle cream sherry 4 tablespoons ( 1/2 stick) unsalted butter Salt and pepper, to taste 1. Set the oven at 350 degrees. Have a large roasting pan on hand. Oil a piece of parchment paper about the size of the pan. 2. Discard the rounded end of the watermelon.

> My mother-in-law sent me a gift card for Christmas – with a childish, snide dig written inside. This is not the first time she's tried to bait me. I don't engage her attempts to start arguments or her pathetic ways of letting everyone know how hard done she is by me. Would you send the card back with a note stating that you don't accept gifts given out of spite? Spend it? Re-gift it? Throw it out? My husband is angry with her as well, but continually taking the high road doesn't seem to be working.

Serves 8 Straight Wharf restaurant serves gazpacho garnished with a single shrimp in addition to the chopped vegetables. 4 large tomatoes 2 cups cubed watermelon 2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and diced (about 2 cups) 1/2 cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons for garnish 1/4 cup sherry vinegar, or to taste Salt and pepper, to taste 1 tablespoon sugar, or more to taste 1 ...

Serves 6 Use seedless watermelon for this rosy mixture. Flavor it with lemon rind and vodka, if you like. 1 seedless watermelon (about 5 pounds) ½ cup sugar Grated rind and juice of 1 lime ½ cup vodka (optional) 1. Halve the watermelon and scoop the flesh into a food processor. Pulse until smooth. 2. Transfer watermelon puree to a large bowl and add sugar, lime rind and juice, and vodka if using.

Serves 4 Variations of this salad, with both goat cheese and feta cheese and all kinds of herbs, have been on restaurant summer menus for a couple of years. This version uses basil, mint, and feta cheese. 4 pounds seedless watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes 3 heirloom tomatoes (yellow, green, and red), cut into wedges 6 ounces Greek feta cheese 2 tablespoons olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste 1/4 cup fresh mint...

Serves 4 One personal-sized watermelon will yield the right amount of fruit for this drink; the recipe can easily be adapted for larger melons. Sip with tall straws (buy the thicker ones in Asian grocery stores if you can). 1 personal watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes (to make 6 cups) 1/3 cup lemon juice, or to taste 2 tablespoons lime juice 1 tablespoon honey 1/3 cup fresh mint leaves 1/2-1 cup water ...

Serves 6 VINAIGRETTE Juice of 1 lime 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar 2 tablespoons water 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 cup olive oil 1 shallot, finely chopped 1/2 jalapeno pepper,...

Serves 8 Queso blanco is a mild white Mexican cheese. Separately marinate the two parts of the salad (watermelon and tomatoes, queso blanco and herbs), then combine them before serving. SALAD 1/2 seedless watermelon, rind removed and flesh thinly sliced 4 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced 1 red onion, thinly sliced 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint 1/4 cup...

OK, I’m going to date myself: The first memory I have of tasting alcohol was in 1972, at the ripe old age of 8, at a George McGovern campaign fund-raiser in my Connecticut hometown. With my father otherwise occupied, I made my way into a spiked watermelon. And I liked it. Needless to say, watermelon has held a special place in my heart ever since. That’s why I like to do more with it than make run-of-the-mill fruit salad (or pump it full of tequila). Sweet and refreshing, watermelon makes a terrific counterpoint to salty and lightly bitter flavors.

Q. Are there other ways to preserve tomatoes besides canning? A. There are several other ways to preserve your bounty. One is oven-drying. This method - cooking the tomatoes at low heat for several hours - concentrates the flavor, giving it a rich zing. Once dried, tomatoes can be frozen for up to six weeks. Use them chopped to add depth to sauces and soups. Also try substituting them for basil in pesto. Toss the mixture with pasta or use it as a sandwich spread; the intense taste can transform a dish.

Q. Are there other ways to preserve tomatoes besides canning? A. There are several other ways to preserve your bounty. One is oven-drying. This method - cooking the tomatoes at low heat for several hours - concentrates the flavor, giving it a rich zing. Once dried, tomatoes can be frozen for up to six weeks. Use them chopped to add depth to sauces and soups. Also try substituting them for basil in pesto. Toss the mixture with pasta or use it as a sandwich spread; the intense taste can transform a dish.

It’s easy to be charmed by Kuhn Rikon’s new red and green watermelon knife, with its seed-shape cut-outs in the blade, sitting pretty in a sheath ($25). The company has been producing cooks’ tools for almost 100 years. This sturdy, stainless steel blade is 11-inches long and a generous 1 ½-inches wide. Designed in Switzerland, the knife fits comfortably in the hand and is a joy to use. When watermelon is gone from the market, use the knife on cantaloupe and other juicy melons, on tomatoes, cucumbers, crusty bread, and then winter squash.

Serves 6 VINAIGRETTE Juice of 1 lime 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar 2 tablespoons water 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 cup olive oil 1 shallot, finely chopped 1/2 jalapeno pepper,...

Serves 4 Variations of this salad, with both goat cheese and feta cheese and all kinds of herbs, have been on restaurant summer menus for a couple of years. This version uses basil, mint, and feta cheese. 4 pounds seedless watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes 3 heirloom tomatoes (yellow, green, and red), cut into wedges 6 ounces Greek feta cheese 2 tablespoons olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste 1/4 cup fresh mint...

OK, I’m going to date myself: The first memory I have of tasting alcohol was in 1972, at the ripe old age of 8, at a George McGovern campaign fund-raiser in my Connecticut hometown. With my father otherwise occupied, I made my way into a spiked watermelon. And I liked it. Needless to say, watermelon has held a special place in my heart ever since. That’s why I like to do more with it than make run-of-the-mill fruit salad (or pump it full of tequila). Sweet and refreshing, watermelon makes a terrific counterpoint to salty and lightly bitter flavors.

JULY 23-26 PORTLAND, ORE. Oregon Brewers Festival: This extravaganza dedicated to unusual brews and small makers promises to be the hit of the year for beer lovers. More than 80 handcrafted beers will be on tap at the 22d annual brew fest on the banks of the Willamette River. The festivities will feature such brews as 21st Amendment Brewery’s Hell or High Watermelon Wheat, Laughing Dog Brewing’s Alpha Dog Imperial IPA, Marin Brewing’s Bluebeery Ale, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery’s Festina Pêche, and Chuckanut Brewery’s Chuckanut Dortmunder Lager.

It’s easy to be charmed by Kuhn Rikon’s new red and green watermelon knife, with its seed-shape cut-outs in the blade, sitting pretty in a sheath ($25). The company has been producing cooks’ tools for almost 100 years. This sturdy, stainless steel blade is 11-inches long and a generous 1 ½-inches wide. Designed in Switzerland, the knife fits comfortably in the hand and is a joy to use. When watermelon is gone from the market, use the knife on cantaloupe and other juicy melons, on tomatoes, cucumbers, crusty bread, and then winter squash.

Serves 8 Queso blanco is a mild white Mexican cheese. Separately marinate the two parts of the salad (watermelon and tomatoes, queso blanco and herbs), then combine them before serving. SALAD 1/2 seedless watermelon, rind removed and flesh thinly sliced 4 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced 1 red onion, thinly sliced 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint 1/4 cup...