Use a long chefs knife to cut into the longest side of the
watermelon about two-thirds of the way up the melon,
and one-third of the way into it
Make a similar cut from
the other side
Then slice down one-third of the way to
meet the lengthwise cuts, creating a 2-1/2-inch-wide
handle-being very, very careful not to cut too deep or
too far down as ripe watermelon
If you use too much
pressure you can cause the melon to crack
Using a
grease marking pencil or a dull pointed knife to score the
pattern you wish to follow may make the cutting a little
easier
Once you are pleased with your cutting, remove
the two pieces of watermelon carefully, rind and all
Even out any ragged cutting areas and cut out the
watermelon flesh under the handle
Make even scallops
all the way around the two lengthwise top sides
Leave
the handle with straight sides
Chill overnight
Reserve
the watermelon fruit for making melon balls.
To prepare the honey-mint sauce heat the water in a
small saucepan
When it is simmering, add the honey
As soon as the honey starts to melt, remove from the
heat
Add the lime juice and the mashed whole mint
leaves, reserving about 6 mint sprigs for garnish
Set
aside at room temperature.
About 5 hours or less before the party, make the melon
balls and prepare the other fruits
Use the large side of
the melon bailer to scoop out the watermelon from the
basket
Put the basket back into the refrigerator
Use
the smaller side to make honeydew and cantaloupe
balls
Cut the pineapple in half, peel, and slice into 1-
inch-thick slices being sure to remove the woody core
Cut into 1-inch wedges.
Peel the cucumbers, then cut them horizontally into
thirds
Cut each third in half, then into long thin
sticks-similar to carrot sticks.
Peel the papayas, cut in half, and remove the seeds,
then cut all the way across each half, creating half-
moons
These cutting instructions insure that each fruit
has its own shape, making an interesting display when
the basket is served.
Place all the fruit in a very large bowl deep enough to
allow stirring
Carefully drizzle the honey-mint sauce
over the fruit, being sure to cover as much fruit as possi-
ble
Allow to set
Then occasionally stir, taking great
care not to break up the pieces of fruit
Cover and set
out of the way
Once the fruit has set out for 2 hours,
chill it until ready to serve
To serve, carefully spoon the
fruits into the watermelon basket
Save back an equal
assortment of each fruit for topping it off
Then place on
a large silver platter or any other large tray
Place the
reserved mint sprigs randomly across the top
Garnish
the tray with grape leaves, if available, or any broad pret-
ty leaf such as a poplar, orange, or other citrus-even
Romaine lettuce
For an added touch, tie a brightly-col-
ored bow around the melon handle
