Summer officially arrives on June 21, so we have a couple more weeks, until then, however, here’s one of my favorite summer salads and I’ll tell you why. The flavor is incredible. You have the blend of fresh watermelon, crunchy cucumbers the saltiness of the feta cheese and the tart of the lime. How can you go wrong?
Over the weekend, I made this to take to our granddaughter’s outdoor cookout birthday party. In addition, it’s been prepared to have on hand at the beginning of the week, to serve along with dinner and then enjoy for lunch and snacks during the week. Because watermelon has so much ‘water’ in it-hence ‘watermelon’, draining this in the colander while you chop and prepare is a good idea. This is a filling and balanced dish with the volume of fruit & vegetable in the watermelon and cucumbers AND the Feta cheese provides protein. For garnishing, I like to reserve a slice of lime before I start juicing or zesting and a sprig of mint. It just looks nice. Use your prettiest serving bowl or this one. I like a white ceramic bowl with blue accents. If you are considering something for a Fourth of July barbecue, consider this one, it looks pretty on a serving table. Enjoy!
Ingredients
6 cups cubed chilled watermelon
1 English or Hot House Cucumber, seeded and cut into cubes with skin on
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
-1 teaspoon honey
1 lime juiced
Zest of 1/2 of lime (use the lime you just juiced)
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves chopped finely
1 cup of either cubed or crumbled Feta (I prefer cubed, but either is good)
Directions
- Chop watermelon into 1 inch cubes and place in a colander to drain as you chop fruit.
- Whisk together in a small bowl, olive oil, freshly squeezed lime juice, black pepper, salt & lime zest.
- Place watermelon chunks into a large bowl. Pour dressing over and gently toss to coat. Now add the feta cheese and gently fold in. Use a small spring of mint and a slice of lime to garnish with. Enjoy!
For more good recipes and tips, checkout my book on my website, at Barnes and Noble or on amazon.com 📚