Eat that watermelon...and that rind?

Monday, August 8 and Thursday August 11 we will host working member Maureen Garber at ICF pickup to sample her fantastic watermelon rind pickles.  Click here for the recipes:  Watermelon Season is Here 2. She's taken food demos to a whole new level with these pickles, using parts of food that we never consider saving (unless we know a pig farmer). Likewise, last night I made a watermelon rind pie, using a recipe given to me by former employee Bobby Young.  The pies he made were delicious, almost mincemeat like with a sweet and spicy flavor.  As I made the pie, I realized that one of the tricks to using odd and typically useless foods is adding lots of sugar and spices.  The pie calls for 3 cups of watermelon rind, and  whole cup of sugar.   All you do is boil the chopped rind in water for 20 minutes, mix it with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, 1/2 cup of raisens, 1 cup of sugar, 3 Tablespoons of cider vinegar and 3 T of flour,  and bake in a pie crust for 40 minutes.  This one was made in celebration of staff member Aly Martelle's birthday, so I hope it is delicious!