Gelo di Melone - Sicilian Watermelon Pudding

     Greetings! Welcome to this great summer post with From Our Dinner Table sharing some great recipes involving watermelon. And who doesn't love watermelon? It's optimal all on its own, but it also lends itself to some great dishes that are both sweet or savory. I've shared four delicious watermelon recipes here before, two sweet and two savory. 

     The first one was O'tai, a Polynesian treat that is both a snack and a drink and is crunchy, cold, shredded watermelon topped with lime and coconut milk and is the perfect summer treat. The second sweet recipe is Come y Bebe from Ecuador. This is another drink that is full of crunchy watermelon and delicious tropical fruits. 

     The first savory recipe for watermelon is an Eastern European recipe for Pickled Watermelon that is surprising and refreshing and delicious. The watermelon is a great backdrop for all the vinegar and spices involved. The second savory recipe is one of my favorites, an Andalusian Watermelon Gazpacho. It's also refreshing and tangy and accented with fresh mint. 

     This recipe is a Sicilian one and is also wonderful in the summertime. It's also so incredibly simple to prepare. I used a watermelon to make mine, but bottled watermelon juice works if you want a shortcut. There are also some delicious, albeit nontraditional, flavors that go deliciously in the mixture before it is set. I like orange blossom water in, well, everything, so that sounds delicious. But flavored coffee syrups such as lychee or elderflower would also complement well. Lemon or lime zest would add a nice bit of punchiness, or even some chopped fresh mint because mint always goes with watermelon. 

    Once you have your watermelon and any additional mix-ins the rest couldn't be any simpler. Combine the cornstarch and the fruit and cook until thick and then just pour into molds or dishes and chill. It's extremely simple but so worth it.  

Wild About Watermelon

• Frozen Tropical Watermelon Aqua Fresca from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Gelo di Melone from Pandemonium Noshery
• Spicy Watermelon Rind Pickle from Magical Ingredients
• Tropical Watermelon Cucumber Salad from That Recipe
• Watermelon Martini from Art of Natural Living
• Watermelon Rum and Sparkling Wine Cocktail from Karen's Kitchen Stories

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Gelo di Melone Recipe

4-5 c. watermelon cubes

1/3 c. cornstarch

1/2 - 1 c. sugar

Additional add-ins as preferred

Chopped pistachios, chopped chocolate, whipped cream

Place the watermelon in a blender and blend until smooth. Strain, reserving the liquid, making sure you have 3 cups of watermelon juice. 

Combine the sugar and cornstarch in a pan and then add a third of the watermelon juice and stir until the cornstarch is dissolved and there aren't any lumps. 

Add the remaining watermelon juice and heat. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-high heat until thick. add any additional flavorings you are using. 

Pour into individual dishes and chill at least 8 hours. 

Serve with chopped pistachios.