Take These Goodies to Your Next Cookout
When someone invites you to a summer cookout, what do you take? We posed this question to selected Kimbrough Law staff members. Here's what they will be making.
Watermelon Boat
This showstopper lends itself to creativity and it's a hit at every party, which is why Mary Jo Johnson likes to bring it to outdoor gatherings. For her son's graduation from the University of Michigan, she carved the watermelon into a block M. If you can dream it, you can carve it!
Equipment
Must-have tools include a melon baller, sharp knife, and cutting board.
Ingredients
1 Large Watermelon
1 Cantaloupe (halved and seeded)
1 Honeydew Melon (halved and seeded)
2 (15 ounces) cans Mandarin Oranges (drained)
2 (20 ounces) cans Pineapple Chunks (drained)
1 cup Mango
1 cup Fresh Strawberries (halved)
1/2 cup Fresh Blueberries
1/2 cup Fresh Raspberries
2 cups Seedless Grapes
Instructions
To carve melon bowl, cut off top 1/4 of melon. Being careful not to cut through to melon, cut thin slice from bottom of melon so it will sit flat. Scoop out watermelon, leaving 1/2- to 1-inch-thick shell.
Carve watermelon as shown in steps on right. Pumpkin-carving tools work really well for carving watermelon. If you don’t have any, use a small sharp paring knife.
Wrap melon bowl in plastic wrap to keep moist; refrigerate until ready to fill.
At serving time, fill with cut-up fruit.
Crazy Slaw
Life Care Coordinator Robin Lacrimosa got this side dish recipe from a friend. Though she has no idea why it's called "Crazy Slaw," it's always a hit. Now she takes it to every cookout.
Ingredients
2 packs coleslaw
2 cans chow mien noodles (don’t add till ready to eat)
1 pack sliced almonds
1 cup oil
1 cup sugar
½ cup white vinegar
½ cup soy sauce
Directions
Throw it all in a bowl (minus the chow mein noodles) and mix it up. When ready to eat, mix in the noodles.
Wow, these recipes sound perfect for a summer cookout! That watermelon boat idea is especially impressive—it’s like an edible centerpiece that really adds a creative and colorful touch to any gathering. I’m inspired by Mary Jo’s idea to carve the watermelon into something meaningful; I might just have to try it with my own twist for the next BBQ! Plus, the combination of fresh fruits makes it a refreshing dish on hot days.
And that Crazy Slaw recipe is a fantastic, easy addition. There’s something about the mix of crunchy chow mein noodles with coleslaw and almonds that sounds so satisfying. It’s simple but unique, exactly the kind of dish that stands out at a cookout.
On a side note, when…