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{watermelons² #squared}
Did you know that the Japanese grow square watermelons since the early 2000’s?
Space is a priority in Japan so the farmers have cultivated these square-shaped watermelons in order to save space and to ensure that the watermelons fitted into the refrigerators more easily. *I just love the Japanese …clever people*. How did they do this? Well like everything Japanese do … ingenious and yet so practical.

The watermelons while still growing on the vine, are placed in a square glass boxes. And yes, these boxes correlate to the exact dimensions of the average, domestic refrigerator in Japan. *clever people again* :-). These square watermelons are obviously somewhat higher in price but are still much sought after by many Japanese households.

{watermelon not #squared}
Moving right along from this watermelon² story, I decided to make these delicious watermelon sorbet balls to go with a strawberry + pomegranate carpaccio. Adding some fennel seeds just offers an alluring and tantalising liquorice note. *I just loved the combination of the subtle fennel-liquorice-taste with all the other fresh flalvours*.

This is a perfect summer dessert – healthy, tasty, fresh, crunchy and oh so beautiful too!

{how to produce a watermelon²}
For those keen on swatting up on the Japanese art of growing your own, perfectly squared watermelon, here is a link that you need to look up.

fennel infused watermelon sorbet

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Author: anél potgieter

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 4 ½ cups watermelon juice, watermelon seeded and blitzed
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ tsp fennel seeds
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

1. Add ½ cup of watermelon juice + sugar + fennel seeds to a pot and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat then add the lemon juice.
2. Put this aside and allow it to cool down completely. Leave the fennel seeds in the mixture.
3. Add the other 4 cups of watermelon juice and place it in the fridge to chill further.
4. Make the sorbet in your ice-cream maker as per the manufacturer’s instruction.

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strawberry + pomegranate carpaccio

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

Author: anél potgieter

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 400g strawberries
• 1 tsp icing sugar
• 1 pomegranate, peeled and seeded
• mint leaves

Instructions

1. Thinly slice the strawberries and sprinkle with icing sugar. Let it stand for a few minutes for the icing sugar to “melt”.
2. Add the pomegranate seeds and decorate a few fresh leaves of mint.
3. Lastly, add scoops of watermelon sorbet.

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