Watermelon

Sweet, juicy watermelon is an iconic summer treat, delicious whether served simply sliced or used in a dish like Watermelon Salad with Feta and Mint. Here, you'll find 11 recipes that celebrate this colorful fruit and will help you make the most of its short season, ranging from a Spicy Tomato-and-Watermelon Gazpacho with Crab that has some heat from habanero and poblano chiles, to this Peanut and Watermelon Chaat, which is sweet, savory, and gets a tasty crunch from roasted peanuts. Working with watermelon juice? Treat yourself to a batch of this Salted Watermelon Ice Cream, which is made with fresh juice (bottled works, too) and finished with flaky sea salt, lime zest, and fresh pieces of watermelon for a gorgeous dessert. Read on to find out how to make all of those recipes, and even more watermelon recipes to make this season.

Every chaat has a little bit of sweetness, a little bit of tartness, a little heat, and a little crunch. That's what makes them so fun to eat. This chaat marries the fleeting succulent sweetness of watermelon with the hearty crunch and saltiness of peanuts. "It's a very Southern combination that I thought should work," Bhatt says. "And it did." Eating watermelon with a sprinkle of salt and a dash of hot sauce is popular in chef Bhatt's hometown of Oxford, Mississippi. This sweet-savory chaat recipe marries that inspiration with a sprinkle of chaat masala, a tangy spice blend often used as a seasoning for fruit in India.

In a story about cooking with fruit for Juneteenth, writer Nicole A. Taylor drew on her memories of a ripe, perfect watermelon enjoyed in Austin, Texas to create her recipe for Grilled Watermelon with Chamomile-Cocoa Salt. In this quick-grilling snack, watermelon wedges take on a slightly smoky flavor from the grill that's enhanced by a toasty, crunchy spice blend of benne seeds, chamomile, fennel, and cocoa. Benne seeds have a more robust, slightly bitter flavor than their cousins, sesame seeds; either are delicious in this recipe.

This sweet, spicy, and punchy upgrade to classic slabs of salted watermelon is the palate-pleasing appetizer your cookout guests deserve. Fresh coconut water is much sweeter, and has a greater depth of flavor than bottled versions, so crack open a coconut if you can. If using store-bought, select a brand with no additives for the best tasting crudo. Reserve the strained spicy marinade to use as a fruity base for a tequila cocktail.

Chef Joe Kindred of Kindred restaurant in Davidson, North Carolina, lets watermelon sit in a savory marinade for 30 minutes to draw out the juices from the fruit and intensify its flavor. Slideshow: More Watermelon Recipes 

Grilling watermelon gives it a pleasantly smoky flavor. Here, F&W's Justin Chapple tops slabs of the sweet-smoky fruit with a cumin-spiked avocado salsa; thin slices of jalapeño and lots of fresh herbs finish off the dish.