Recipe: Fruit Dip for Fruit Kabobs, Chocolate Dipped Strawberries, Melon Salad

You could try fruit kebabs, you'll want to use fruit that does not brown after it's cut. Pineapple, kiwi, and strawberries work well. Chocolate dipped strawberries are always a hit. Or you could just try cutting a medium sized watermelon in half lengthwise, scoop out the watermelon and fill the rind shell with melon salad.

Fruit dip for fruit kebabs

1 cup Light vanilla yogurt
1 cup Light cool whip
1 tbsp Honey

Mix together well

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Chocolate dipped strawberries

24-30 perfectly ripened strawberries, green caps intact
6 oz (.375 lb) sweet, semi-sweet, bitter sweet chocolate or white chocolate, coarsely chopped
Toothpicks

Rinse strawberries, dry thoroughly on paper towels. Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler, set over simmering water, or in a non-stick skillet set over low heat, or in a glass bowl in the microwave (on full power in 30 second intervals).

Regardless of the method used to melt chocolate, stir it as it starts to soften. Chocolate should not be hot -- if it gets too hot, it will be too thin and it will drip off of the strawberries rather than adhere to them.

Be careful -- overheating chocolate may cause scorching and keep it from blending properly. Insert a toothpick into the stem end of each strawberry and dip into the chocolate, coating 3/4 of the berry. (Leave the green cap and some of the red berry showing for a more decorative finished product.)

Spear the free end of the toothpick into a piece of Styrofoam or a grapefruit to allow the strawberry to dry upside down. (Strawberries may also be dried on waxed paper.) If the chocolate becomes too thick to work with, re-heat gently. If desired, after the chocolate hardens, dip the tip in a contrasting chocolate.

After the chocolate hardens, remove the strawberries from the toothpicks. The chocolate dipped strawberries are best if eaten within 24 hours - refrigerate for longer storage, but serve at room temperature for greatest flavor.

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Melon salad

For a melon salad in a 15 to 20 pound oblong melon -

the flesh from the watermelon
2 cantaloupes
2 honeydews
3 cups fresh strawberries - washed, hulled and halved
2 cups or large white, black or red seedless grapes - washed and halved
6 kiwi fruit - peeled and sliced
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup lime juice
3/4 cup lemon juice
2 tsp. grated lemon peel

Scoop out the flesh of all the melons with a melon baller. then set aside. Toss the melon balls, berries and grapes and kiwi slices together. In a separate bowl, mix the lime juice, lemon juice, sugar and lemon peel together. Pour the juice mixture over the fruit mixture and toss lightly again.