Watermelon Feta Salad

As we say goodbye to the month of August it hits us hard that Summer and all its wonderful seasonal harvest will be gone soon. So we are saying goodbye to the warm weather by indulging in the naturally sweet flavors of fresh fruit. This Watermelon Feta Salad is a staple summertime dish which allows for many variations. We used seedless cucumber in this batch to bulk up servings for a large group. You can also adapt the recipe to more of its Greek roots with fresh sliced red onion for a bit of heat, we recommend when not serving to children. What’s most important for this recipe if the quality of the sweet, ripe watermelon and, more critically, the salty feta cheese.

Ingredients

• 3 lbs seedless watermelon (about 1 small or 1/4 large); when cut into 1-inch chunks yields about 2 lbs after rind is discarded
• 1 lemon which yields 1 tablespoon of juice
• 2 cups sliced cucumber, seeds removed if desired
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh mint leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled or small chunks

*Optional: Sliced Red Onion, Arugula

Directions

We recommend buying a whole watermelon for best freshness! Don’t despair, cutting up a watermelon into chunks is not too hard:

1. Cut your watermelon in half lengthwise. Then, cut each half in half to make 4 quarters of watermelon. Take one of the quarters and make cuts from the top part of the melon all the way down to the rind. Make 1 inch slices from one side of the melon to the other side.Take your knife and slice 1 inch strips down the length of the melon. (You are essentially making a crisscross pattern on each quarter of the watermelon.)

2. Place watermelon chunks in a large bowl with sliced cucumber. Finely zest skin of lemon. Add lemon juice and half of zest to bowl with watermelon.

3. Add oil, mint, and any extra ingredients (arugula, red onion, etc.) and toss gently until watermelon is evenly dressed. Season lightly to taste with salt and pepper. Remember- feta cheese will add saltiness, so go light on the salt at this stage.)

3. Transfer salad to a wide, shallow bowl or a large plate and spread out evenly. Crumble feta over the top. Sprinkle with remaining lemon zest. Drizzle with more olive oil and a few grinds of black pepper. Enjoy!!