Slice into refreshing watermelon at a best-buy 15 cents a pound for Maika'i Club members at Sack N Save (29 cents for nonmembers) to embellish Admission Day picnics. It's 23 cents at Daiei, through Saturday. Watermelon
chills out at picnicsAfter all, watermelon is a very democratic fruit: large enough to feed a crowd, sweet enough to please children and low enough in calories to appeal to weight-conscious adults.
Most important, it is almost impossible to tuck into a slice without juice dripping down your chin, which definitely discourages pomposity.
Today's big melons are the result of modern breeding. All varieties are sweet and pleasantly fruity, with faint overtones of vanilla.
It is difficult to tell from the outside when a melon is ripe. But there are ways to divine the inner state of a melon. First, look for a specimen that is free of bruises or cuts, and heavy for its size; melons picked past their peak lose some of their water and are lighter and mealier. The rind of a ripe melon has a healthy sheen, neither very shiny nor very dull.
The best test of ripeness, however, is the time-honored thump test. This consists of placing your forefinger against your thumb, then snapping the melon with the forefinger and listening to the retort. A ripe melon should sound deep and hollow.
For a zesty salad, toss thin slices of sweet red onion and chopped chives with a splash of good-quality balsamic vinegar, then mix with watermelon cubes that have been seeded. Seeding isn't as difficult as it may seem. Slice the melon into four lengthwise quarters. From each quarter, slice off the top "core" layer of seedless meat, and reserve. Cut away the thin layer of seed-filled fruit, and extract the juice or discard. From the rind, cut the rest of the meat and cube.