I recently saw a summer serving dish set online that I loved. The perfect pastels complemented each other, came in various sizes and were perfect for presenting a multitude of treats. The biggest delights were the edible bowls themselves.

The idea came to me not from a kitchenware site, but from a supermarket advertisement promoting a seasonal produce sale. I've seen carved single watermelons, and occasionally melons, used before as decorative baskets for fruit salads, but the photo lineup of the scooped-out halves of personal seedless watermelons, honeydews and cantaloupes of various sizes was even more inspiring.

The muted pinks, greens and oranges of these unadorned fruits next to each other was so pretty and appealing, it tempted me to fill them with more than just fruit salad for dynamic centerpieces to a summer buffet table.

Following are a few ideas. All ingredients are to taste. Use a variety of sizes of melons for effect. Cut in half any melons you are using, scoop out flesh and seeds, leaving a colorful approximate one-inch border of the fruit between the rind and the inside of your "bowl."

HAM 'N' CHEESE 'N" MORE

Spread thin slices of ham with spicy mustard and top with a thin mixture of finely diced sweet gherkins and green olives. Alternate rolling slices of sharp cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese around the ham slices. Decoratively stand up rollups within melon basket.

THIS SALSA IS A STAR

In your favorite fruit salsa recipe (which usually contain peppers, tomatoes and fruit), substitute diced honeydew and cantaloupe for the fruit. Serve in a small melon bowl with crumbled feta cheese on top. Use store-bought or homemade herb crackers and spears of peeled jicama and unpeeled cucumber for serving.

FRUIT FOR THOUGHT

Marinate chunks of melon (use a melon baller if possible) in passionfruit iced tea. Drain, shake in a large plastic bag with red pepper flakes, freshly ground black pepper and tarragon. Fill melon bowl with the fruit and decoratively drizzle with lemon or berry nonfat Greek yogurt.

BROWNIE BITES WORTH A BIGGER BITE

Layer bottom and sides of melon bowl with store-bought or homemade brownie bites and crumbled chocolate chip cookies. Top with a mixture of melons, blueberries, sliced strawberries and chopped peanuts. Drizzle with chocolate sauce, whipped cream and sprinkles.

AFTER-WORK GOURMET COOKBOOK SHELF

Lindsay Maitland Hunt, author of "Healthyish," has determined that satisfying home cooking should be good for you, but "not too good for you," as her subtitle advises. This makes watching your own navel for weight fluctuations much more fun and tasty — and, as Hunt writes, easier to stick to. The recipe developer shows off her well-developed chops with innovative, simple flavor combinations, such as Banana-Avocado-Chai Shake, Red Lentil Soup with Cilantro-Lime Yogurt and Apricot Jam, Toasted Coconut and Pistachio Apple Slice Cookies.

Lisa Messinger is a first-place winner in food writing from the Association of Food Journalists and the author of seven food books, including "Mrs. Cubbison's Best Stuffing Cookbook" and "The Sourdough Bread Bowl Cookbook." To find out more about Lisa Messinger and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: at Pixabay