Thai Crab and Watermelon Salad

Wow, is it almost the end of August already?  This month has flown by for me, and it is hard for me to imagine that summer is almost over.  But not yet!  Case in point, this beautiful guest post today from Joy of Joylicious features an Easy Thai Crab and Watermelon Salad with gorgeous multi-colored melons, light and and healthy crab, fresh herbs, and a tangy dressing.  If you ask me, it is the perfect way to savor the last days of summer.  Plus, isn't it beautiful?  Although that is to be expected, since it came from Joy's kitchen.  Behind the lens, Joy works magic, and all her posts featuring stunning photography plus amazing recipes and experiences.  I also adore how she artfully integrates text into her photos.  Genius.  And of course, I love that she is just an all around happy gal.  Enjoy the post and be sure to stop by and check out Joylicious! 

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Amanda has been one of my great blogger friends since the beginning.  I rooted for her during Project Food Blog and continue to be mesmerized time and time again with her beautiful pictures, recipes and words. While she’s slaving away in graduate school, she’s asked a few of her friends to hold the fort during her dissertation.  So I am so honored to be the guest blogger at The Cilantropist today, thank you Amanda for having me!

One of my favorite parts about summers in Texas are the family get togethers we have on the weekends around the pool.  Every Sunday the family gets together to enjoy a little beer, plenty of grilling and of course lots of eating.  I found this recipe through Food and Wine – they originally had grilled chicken which I’ve replaced with crab.  I love the addition of the watermelon with the bold yet light vinaigrette.  It’s a great appetizer for the summer as it’s easy to prepare and would wow any crowd. 

Pickled Watermelon Rind

This month I saw all my lovely blogger friends who are Daring Cooks producing cute little jars of apple and peach butter as part of this month's challenge focused on food preservation.  I have to say, this is definitely one month when I wished to be part of Daring Cooks since I love pickling and making preserves!  Even though I am not a member of this adventurous group, I do make my share of challenging and unique recipes, and I thought I would springboard off their challenge and share my latest pickling experience with you and ask for some suggestions.    

I found this recipe for pickled watermelon rind in Think Like a Chef by Tom Colicchio and I was drawn to it like a magnet.  (Don't ask why because I have no idea.  Maybe it had something to do with my hesitation to throw away all that pretty green rind.  Or, maybe I just like any recipe with the word pickle.)  The recipe seemed simple enough, and I thought it would be an interesting condiment to use with a summer fish dish or possibly in a relish.