Attending an outdoor “Pizza Party in the Garden” was great fun, even though it was 93 in the shade! The host cooked gourmet pizza’s with fresh ingredients in an outdoor pizza oven, and we were asked to bring a side dish or a dessert. I decided to combine the two into a delicious salad mixing some of the best produce from our local farmers market into one yummy side.
photo: Jamie Durie design via HGTV
Introducing…the Watermelon Salad!
The salad was enjoyed by all!
Crisp, cool, refreshing and a delight to the palette, perfect for a hot party in the garden: What may seem like an incongruous mixture is actually a harmonious blend of ingredients and textures. There are few dishes that illustrate how the seemingly disparate flavors of sweet, sour, bitter, and salty can be successfully combined.
Ingredients are:
- 1 (4- to 4 1/2-pound) piece watermelon, preferably seedless
- 3 large ripe tomatoes, preferably green or orange heirlooms, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 medium sweet onion, such as Vidalia, Maui, or Walla Walla, thinly sliced
- 4 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
- 1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta
Cut off and discard the watermelon rind. Cut the watermelon into 1-inch cubes, removing any seeds as needed. Transfer to serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours. Add the tomatoes, onion, and mint to the watermelon and toss gently. Add the feta and toss again. Serve immediately. One tip: While the melon should be chilled, the other ingredients are their most flavorful at room temperature, so combine the salad just before serving.
Thanks to epicurious.com for this fabulous recipe. Try it out, it’s great!
What’s your favorite Summer Salad recipe? Share it in the comment section and perhaps, with your permission, I can share on my blog!
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7 Comments
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It sounds so good I can’t wait to make it!
Thank you for sharing, Irene 🙂Here is one of my favorite salads:
“Quinoa, Garbanzo, and Spinach Salad with Smoked Paprika Dressing”Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups quinoa (9 to 10 ounces), rinsed, drained
4 cups (packed) baby spinach leaves
2 15- to 16-ounce cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed, drained
1 3/4 cups 1/3-inch cubes unpeeled English hothouse cucumber
1 1-pint container multicolored baby heirloom tomatoes, halved (2 1/2 cups)
1 cup (packed) fresh mint leaves
1 1/2 cups coarsely crumbled feta cheese (about 7 ounces), divided
1/4 cup Sherry wine vinegar
2 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/2 cup olive oilPreparation:
Place quinoa in large saucepan; add enough salted water to cover quinoa by 1 inch. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until quinoa is tender, 15 to 16 minutes. Drain. Chill until cool.
Meanwhile, combine spinach leaves, garbanzos, cubed cucumber, halved tomatoes, mint leaves, and half of feta cheese in extra-large bowl. Add cooled quinoa and toss gently to blend.
Whisk vinegar and smoked paprika in small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Pour dressing over salad; toss to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper. Sprinkle remaining feta over.
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sounds terrific Mané, can’t wait to try it!
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What a coincidence! I made watermelon salad today, too. Mine involved watermelon, green onion, arugula and feta, plus a light dressing of EVOO, lime juice and S & P. Quite tasty! Who would ever have thought, years ago, of watermelon in a salad? I am freezing some little chunks of the melon, and I am planning to try some frozen cocktails with it.
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OMGoodness, the idea of frozen cocktails sounds great! Let me know how they turned out
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thanks so much for this, Irene…I had a yummy watermelon salad at a local Greek restaurant the other night and have been looking for a recipe. Here’s my other fave for summer:
Mix wedges of tomatoes and peaches, add slivers of red onion, a few red-pepper flakes and cilantro. Dress with olive oil and lime or lemon juice. Astonishing. -
Yum- that looks delicious and so easy- I’m trying it!
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