Summers exist for watermelon

I'm convinced ice-cold watermelon is the only thing that makes it worth getting out of bed on weekends. The growing season is over for the Rio Grande Valley, but they'll be harvested well into September in north Texas.

A co-worker mentioned pickled watermelon rind recently. I was astonished because no other person I know has ever heard of the food, much less have fond memories of it. I ate pickled watermelon rind at my grandmother's house when I was about 10. It was delicious. Put enough sugar on anything unpalatable, say, like ... melon rind ... and it can be turned into candy.

If you'd like to try using watermelon in other ways, the National Watermelon Promotion Board has recipes for salsas and other treats. It's a great Website for watermelon facts and instructions on how to carve a watermelon. After all, summer is all about watermelon.

Photo pubished with permission from Christine Rodgriguez, smoochmonkey.com