Watermelon Pico de Gallo Creations

Watermelon Pico de Gallo Creations

Lisa’s Point of View is blogging all things Fresh Pico de Gallo and Watermelon Pico de Gallo! Fruit salsas/Pico de Gallo are becoming all the rage as toppings over entrees, salads, and appetizers in restaurants. Watermelons, in season, with their sweetness can make for a perfect Pico de Gallo. Since watermelons are mostly made up of water, it is not practical to use in a traditional blended salsa. And due to its light texture, the watermelon Pico de Gallo is best and freshest if used the day it is made or the next day.

Did you know there is a debate of whether watermelon is a fruit or a vegetable? I have always considered it a fruit! I learned more about the scientific data between the classifications on the Watermelon.org site along with some fun facts. I learned there are 120 genera and 735 species. There are over 300 varieties grown in the USA. Some countries including the southern US will put watermelon rinds through the pickling process. In China, they will stir fry the watermelon rinds in their dishes.

I found a perfectly sweet watermelon recently and decided to experiment with various Pico de Gallos. I used Roma tomatoes in mine. Although you will see an alternate way to make it is to use chopped cucumbers instead of tomatoes. Some Pico de Gallos are made with just the fruits, peppers, onions, etc. The possibilities are unlimited of all the kinds of Pico de Gallo you can create.

I made a simply scrumptious watermelon cherry Pico de Gallo. It was my friend Gary in Arkansas who inquired if it could be made with cherries. I decided to give it a try using the same ingredients I used for the other Pico de Gallos. The cherries gave a wonderful texture with a slight tartness along with the sweet watermelon and the savory tomatoes.

I also included the Roma tomatoes, diced hot peppers from my garden, diced red onions, cilantro, salt & drizzled with a little olive oil. Some times I will substitute the olive oil with a drizzle of honey depending on the flavor I am wanting to achieve. Honey is a great way to offset the heat of peppers.

I served the cherry watermelon Pico de Gallo over crostini topped with spreadable brie.

 I also served it over fresh greens salad. I think this would taste amazing over grilled chicken breast slices.

I created a delicious watermelon mango Pico de Gallo. I used the sweet champagne mango which are still in season. Those mango have the texture and sweetness similar to a peach. Yet the watermelon sweetness along with the mango sweetness was a great combination. As with the other Pico de Gallo, I used Roma tomatoes, diced hot peppers from my garden, diced red onions, cilantro, salt & drizzled with a little olive oil.

I served it over crostini topped with spreadable brie for an appetizer. And I served it over a plain crostini.

 I served the watermelon mango Pico de Gallo along with watermelon pineapple Pico de Gallo over a hot melted brie for a savory appetizer.

I served it over a fresh greens salad. I am thinking it would taste incredible over grilled fish tacos.

My final experimentation was a spectacular watermelon pineapple Pico de Gallo. Getting a ripe pineapple is crucial to any type of pico or salsa. With pineapples having softer more juicy texture like watermelons, it is important to have a firmer texture tomato or cucumber so it doesn’t dissolve quickly. As with the other Pico de Gallo, I used Roma tomatoes, diced hot peppers from my garden, diced red onions, cilantro, salt & drizzled with a little olive oil.

I served it over crostinis topped with spreadable brie for an appetizer, over a plain baguette and over a hot melted brie. Such an incredible diversity of flavors and textures.

Of course I love to change things up and serve the Pico de Gallos over sliced cucumbers. It was my friend Gary from Arkansas who gave me the idea of using sliced cucumbers topped with Pico de Gallo/salsa as an appetizer.

I also served it over fresh greens salad. It would also taste delicious over grilled fish or grilled pork.

To find a ripe watermelon, look for a watermelon free of bruising/denting. The watermelon should be heavy for its size. The underside of the watermelon should have a creamy yellow spot from where it sat on the ground  I would recommend getting watermelons from your local farmers market in season. Only buy watermelons “in season” for the best in freshness and sweetness. This is a great chart from watermelon.org on growing seasons in various areas of the country: https://www.watermelon.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/PeakProduction_NObleed.pdf

Watermelons offer a great opportunity to #getcreativeinthekitchenwithsalsa. I hope you enjoyed some of my Pico de Gallo creations from #lisassalsablog.