I’m a product of my grandma. And her attic. My Ma Hocutt was a depression era baby, so of course she found it hard to throw anything away! She kept every Parkay margarine container, Cool Whip tub and Duke’s mayonnaise jar. Before she died, we did some attic cleaning. She was downstairs in her chair and had no idea we were flinging decades of jars, mostly gallon vinegar jars from pickling, out the attic window. When my brother in law got to the dump with the THIRD truck bed full, the man at the dump asked where all those JARS were coming from! She’d have probably died that day had she known what we were up to.
I’m not THAT bad, but be it containers, or food, I find it difficult to throw stuff away and always stop to think… “what can THIS be?” I have a friend whose brother-in-law gets a lot of soup from me. He swears I make the best soups. However, he knows no two will be the same. It just depends on what I have in my freezer soup pot that’s accumulated or what I’ve cooked that week I’m tired of eating… be it beef roast… BBQ chicken or assorted veggies, including slaw. YES, I do throw that in soup if I have some. It’s just cabbage y’all. And cabbage makes any soup better. That little bit of mayo in it will be lost in a big pot of soup… and hey… everything, even slaw dressing, is just “another layer of flavor.” When I tell folks I throw slaw into my soup… they are flabbergasted!
So as I’ve been enjoying watermelons this summer, mostly Bogue Sound Watermelons (they are one of my social media clients), I have been saving some rind. I wanted to make some more of my Sweet n’Hot Watermelon Rind Pepper Relish. That’s some good stuff.. and so easy to make!
I brought home a load of melons last week from the area for friends with one condition… they save the rind for me! So I ended up with a bunch, and actually am freezing some to see how that works to play with this winter, and for when jars can be found. With covid having folks stuck at home that have never canned in their life now canning… along with all the usual summer canners, jars have become a hot commodity and folks are bartering (self included) with friends who have some stashed away!
Because the rind is so crispy and actually tasty, I pondered how I could use some without any processing… what this “throw cooker” could do simply. With things I have on hand. This “recipe” is surprisingly delicious! If you’ve never nibbled on it, the rind is sorta like cucumbers… and when sliced thin, could stand in for cukes! And y’all know I love using NC products… and love all the sunflower oils from my friend Lee at Carolina Gold Oils…
So… I grabbed a bottle of one I have lined up beside my stove. I think any would do, but decided the Mediterranean would probably be best. So here’s all you have to do…
Put some thinly sliced watermelon rind in a bowl. Leave a little red “meat” on there for pretty color. Drizzle with the oil… and dust with some flaky salt! (I use Maldon.) Ta.Da.
Watermelon rind has lots of great nutritional value too! Take a look here... and here!
Low in calories… not many carbs… and you can even use like root veggies and throw in stews and soups.
That’s it. Keep nice and cold in the fridge for nibbling… serve with cold beer, wine, champagne, cocktails… or sweet tea! If you are having tacos, chop it up and spoon over them or do the same on hot dogs… scatter over a salad… just think outside the box and how you can use this tasty treat… just don’t throw that rind away!Be like my grandma with this… and other things… imagine new ways to reuse stuff… in or outside your kitchen. (But best not to store in your attic! LOL)
Propping/styling and photography by Wendy Perry
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