Fruit Bouquet

Every year my family has a cookout on the 4th of July. It is a covered dish type of thing and each year, along with potato salad, I like to made something fun and different. Last year it was bruchetta. The year before that it was a muffuletta.

This year I was inspired by a fruit bouquet I saw from Edible Arrangements.



I thought that since all it really is, is cut fruit, I could make my own version. I don't think it turned out that bad.

Recipe:

1 whole pineapple, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
1 whole cantaloupe, peeled and cut into 24 thin wedges
1 whole honeydew, peeled and cut into 24 thin wedges plus 1/4 whole melon
1/2 lb grapes
1/2 pint of blueberries
1 pint of strawberries
1/2 half watermelon, hallowed, for garnish
Wooden skewers

Instructions:

Wash and cut the pineapple, cantaloupe and hoenydew. Wash and trim the green tops off the strawberries. Wash the blueberries and grapes. Place a wooden skewer into each piece of fruit, leaving about 2 inches of room at the bottom of the skewer.
When all the fruit is skewered, use the sharp end of a skewer and poke holes into the hallowed watermelon. Insert the fruit into the watermelon, in any pattern. I tried to leave enough room so that people could just grab the wooden skewer and not have to touch the fruit.

To make the pineapple "flowers":

Using a small round cookie cutter, cut several pineapple slices into small round shapes. Use a melon baller and make several balls out of the honeydew or cantaloupe. Skewer the pineapple first and then top it with the melon ball.