Watermelon is one of the edible geniuses in the Cucurbitaceae family, also called the gourd family. The most important family members comprise five genuses:

 
Non-edible members include:

 
Sweet melons have long been an anticipated summer treat. Pperhaps the most beloved is watermelon: sliced and eaten as hand fruit; sipped as juice, in cocktails, fruit soup and smoothies; made into dessert as fruit salads, popsicles and sorbets; grilled as a side; added to salsa; and so much more.

Today’s tip: Consider adding watermelon to your salads. It fits as easily into savory salads as sweet fruit salads.
 
WATERMELON SALAD INGREDIENTS

Mix and match watermelon with these ingredients:

 
Dressings

 
RECIPE: WATERMELON CAPRESE SALAD

This festive salad [photo #2] can be the appetizer or the fruit and cheese course. It was created by Gina Homolka of SkinnyTaste.com.

 
Ingredients For 8 Servings

 
Plus

 
Preparation

1. CUT 16 from the watermelon. Save the trimmed watermelon for another use.

[1] Watermelon and cucumber: cousins in a simple salad with red onion (photo courtesy WinesOfSicily.com). [2] An artistic version from Gina Homolka. See more of her inspired recipes and photos at SkinnyTaste.com. [3] Homemade balsamic glaze (photo courtesy EatBoutique.com). [4] Watermelon on the vine (photo by Fred Hsu | Wikipedia).

Balsamic glaze is balsamic vinegar reduced into a syrup.

It can be used on savory and sweet foods.

 
The better the balsamic vinegar, the better the glaze.
 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. BRING the vinegar to a boil in a small, heavy saucepan. Reduce to a simmer and cook until thick and syrupy, about 15 minutes. (The glaze will further thicken when it cools.)

2. REMOVE from the heat; taste and stir in the optional sweetener and salt. Let cool completely.

3. STORE in the fridge in an airtight jar.

 
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*Hard aged cheeses include Cheddar, Cheshire, Emmental, Gouda, Gruyère, Mimolette and Parmesan/Parimigiano Reggiano, among others. It is also delicious with Roquefort and other strong blues, and with over-ripe bloomy-rinded cheeses like Brie and Camembert.

[2] Gourmet S’mores made with a Petit Écolier chocolate-topped biscuit and a chocolate chocolate chip marshmallow (photo courtesy Plush Puffs gourmet marshmallows).

[3] No-Bake S’mores Pie (photo courtesy Brown Eyed Baker; here’s the recipe).

To make the basic S’mores sandwich cookie, you need one or two marshmallows, two graham crackers and a piece of chocolate bar to fit the grahams for each.

The marshmallow is toasted and placed on top of the chocolate and the bottom graham, followed by the top graham. The heat of the toasted marshmallow melts the chocolate into a gooey delight. Don’t forget the napkins.

We’ve got lots of favorite s’mores recipes (our list is below), but this year we’re having a S’mores party with a twist: fun substitutions.
 
 
SUBSTITUTES FOR THE CHOCOLATE BARS

 
 
SUBSTITUTES FOR THE GRAHAM CRACKERS

 
 
SUBSTITUTES FOR THE MARSHMALLOWS

 
 
ADD-ONS

 
 
THERE ARE RECIPES BELOW, BUT FIRST…some history.

We don’t know who invented S’mores, but the Girl Scouts certainly popularized them: The first published recipe is in their 1927 handbook.

S’mores around the campfire has been a happy tradition: a stick, a fire, two toasted marshmallows, a square of chocolate and two graham crackers get you a delicious chocolate marshmallow sandwich.

The combined flavors of toasted marshmallow, melty chocolate and crunchy grahams is oh-so-much tastier than the individual ingredients (or, to quote Aristotle, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts).

The name of the sandwich cookie comes from its addictive quality: You have no choice but to ask for “some more.”

But you don’t need a campfire, or even all of the classic ingredients, to celebrate with S’mores, as you’ll see below. Don’t have a heat source to melt marshmallows? Use Fluff or other marshmallow cream.
 
 
MORE S’MORES RECIPES

[5] Ice cream sandwich S’mores with S’mores ice cream—chocolate ice cream with pieces of marshmallows and graham crackers (photo courtesy Babble.com).

Check out these 25 different S’mores combinations.

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

[1] Mix summer fruits and vegetables into a salad or a grain bowl (recipe below; photo courtesy Elegant Affairs Caterers). [2] Use the “bundt technique” to neatly remove the corn kernels (photo courtesy SimplyRecipes.com).

Mix it up this summer. Beyond fruit salads and mixed grilled vegetables, combine the two produce groups into new concepts.

Almost everyone has made a mixed fruit or vegetable recipe, but how about mixed fruit and vegetables?

Think grilled pizza with figs and yellow squash or arugula and nectarines; raw or grilled skewers (bell peppers, cucumbers, melon, stone fruit, summer squash), or the corn and peach salad recipe below. Here’s a reference list for your combinations:
 
SUMMER VEGETABLES

 
SUMMER VEGETABLES

 
Plus

This refreshing summer salad is delicious with grilled proteins, roast chicken, or on a salad buffet.

You can prepare steps 1 and 2 a day in advance.

Ingredients For 4 Servings

 
Preparation

1. CLEAN the corn and cut the kernels from cob. It’s neater if you use the bundt pan technique: Steady the ear of corn in the hole at the top of the funnel of a bundt pan (see photo 2 above). When you cut the kernels, they fall into the pan for neater gathering. If you have a silicon pad or other nonslip surface, put it under the bundt pan before you begin,

2. COMBINE the corn, peaches and seasonings to taste in a medium bowl. Add the oil, vinegar and lime juice; toss to coat. Add the seasonings to taste. When ready to serve…

3. PLACE the greens at the bottom of a serving bowl or individual plates (if using grains, add them first). Top with the corn and peaches, then the mint or basil. If using a serving bowl, toss before serving.
 
Grilled Variation

You can grill the corn and peaches before making the salad.

1. BRUSH the shucked ears of corn and halved peaches with olive oil and grill on a covered grill over medium heat for 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Turn occasionally for even browning.

2. REMOVE from the grill and let cool to the touch. Then cut the kernels and slice the peaches.
 
Caprese Variation

Make a Caprese Salad of peaches and tomatoes, with the corn substituting for, or in addition to, the mozzarella cheese. Garnish with basil and olive oil.

Here’s a recipe.
  

Erno Rubik, born July 13, 1944, is a Hungarian architect and inventor. His immortality lies in his 1974 invention, the Rubik’s Cube, just one of the mechanical puzzles he’s created.

Crafty cooks have reinterpreted the Rubik’s Cube with cubes of cake, cheese, fruit and vegetables.
 
RUBIK’S CUBE DESSERT TIPS

A Rubik’s Cube of fruit and cheese is a summery dessert (photos 1 and 4).

 
While you can make a single large cube to share, it will quickly be disasembled to serve. It’s much nicer to keep the visual for a longer time by serving individual ones with one-inch cubes.

The key to a good-looking cube is having the patience to cut every ingredient the same size. Unless you’re a pro with a knife, you might want to get a square cookie/vegetable cutter.

RECIPE: RUBIK’S FRUIT & CHEESE CUBE

Ingredients

[1] Fruit & Cheese Rubik’s Cube (photo courtesy Elegant Affairs). [2] Vegetable Rubik’s Cube (photo courtesy VladPiskunov.LiveJournal.com). [3] Rubik’s cake from Cookies, Cupcakes And Cardio.

Preparation

1. CHOOSE the fruit and cheese combination.

2. USE a cleaned ruler to measure; then cut the fruit and cheese into one-inch-high slabs. Next, cut the slabs into one-inch cubes, ideally with a one-inch-square cutter. Reserve the scraps for another purpose (salads, salsas, smoothies for fruit; omelets, salads, salsas for cheeses, meats and vegetables).

3. ASSEMBLE the cube(s) on the serving plate(s). First create the base: four sides with three cubes on each side. Build the second and third layers, alternating so that no adjacent cubes are the same.

4. GARNISH as desired. We set out different garnishes and sauces and let guests dress their own cubes.

If you want to watch the process, check out this YouTube video. You don’t need to use sugar syrup to bind the cubes together, as is done in the video recipe.
 
MORE RUBIK’S CUBE RECIPES

Veggie: For a first course, here’s an all-vegetable Rubik’s cube salad made with beets, carrots, cucumbers and potatoes (photo 2 above). You can substitute cubed ham, salami or turkey for one of the veggies.

Cake: Here’s how to make the Rubik’s Cube Cake in photo 3.

Made by Tajin Products, a Mexican company, this mildly spicy seasoning combines chili, lime and salt. It is delicious on fruits: citrus, cucumber, melon, and tropical fruit (mango, papaya, pineapple, etc.).

A Mexican staple, you can find it in the Mexican foods aisle in supermarkets, in Latin American food stores, and online.

It’s a versatile seasoning. You can use it on:

We haven’t had much success with canned wines. They’re too sugary-sweet, more like soft drinks.

But Latitude Beverage Company has introduced what they say is the first-ever premium wine collection in pull-top cans (top photo). Selecting good wines from wine regions that are well-known for the varietals, we can finally respond, “Bring on the cans!”

The three varietals are just right for lighter summer fare: with a sandwich, some cheese, a pasta salad. Lila suggests these pairings:

 
So grab a can and head for the backyard, pool or the great outdoors. Attractively “dressed” in colorful graphics, these wines are ready to join the party.

The 8.4-ounce cans come in four-packs with an MSRP of $12.99 (more at e-tailers). The four cans combined contain 33% more wine than the standard 750ml wine bottle.

We stuck them in the freezer to partially freeze. They kept cold for quite a while outside in the heat; and since each can holds two servings, when it was time for the second, the wine was nicely chilled.
 
ZERO WATER: HOME & PORTABLE WATER FILTRATION SYSTEM

Zero Water* turns your tap water into purified water—more pure, the company says, than the leading brand (Brita).

Even if your municipality could clean your tap water to remove almost all the total dissolved solids (TDS), the water can pick up chemicals on its way from the treatment plant to your faucet.

Zero Water’s unique filter removes 99.63% of all TDS. The filtered water tastes crisp and refreshing. Pitchers are available in 6, 8, 10 and 12 cup sizes; in a 23-cup countertop model; and in a 26-ounce travel tumblers. The 10-cup model shown in the photo is $32.99.

You can see the entire line at ZeroWater.com.

[1] Lila premium wines in 8.4-ounce cans (photo courtesy Latitude Beverage Company). [2] [3] Zero Water, with a patented filter that removes virtually all dissolved solids from your tap water, is available in home units and portable tumblers (photos courtesy Zero Water).

DEFINE WATER BOTTLE: BEST FOR FRUIT INFUSION

We love “spa water”: plain water infused with fresh fruit. We’ve tried half a dozen water bottles with fruit-infusing options, and the Define Bottle Sport Flip Top is our favorite.

The superior freezing mechanism, the detachable lower canister, gives you options:

 
Remember that water expands when frozen, so leave a half inch of space at the top.

The bottle is made from Tritan, the standard in quality plastic food and beverage containers. The total capacity is 16 ounces. The bottle disassembles for easy† cleaning and the cylinders are dishwasher safe.

There are other bottle designs and colors. See them all at DefineBottle.com. You can purchase this bottle on Amazon.
 
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†We noted some complaints online about the difficulty of cleaning the strainer and gaskets. We keep a toothbrush with a rubber tip along with the scrub brushes at our kitchen sink. It, along with our faucet sprayer, did the trick.