8.27.13 Watermelon Salad with Feta and Mint
Last weekend, I had the pleasure of attending what is definitely one of my favorite events of the year. That’s right, I went to the Minnesota State Fair, and it was absolutely glorious, as usual. I know what you’re thinking - ‘What is WISCONSIN from Scratch doing at the MINNESOTA state fair?’ To be fair (hah, see what I did there?), before becoming a full fledged Wisconsinite, I grew up in the Twin Cities and spent my childhood attending the state fair every year. It’s become something of a tradition. A wonderful tradition involving deep fried foods on sticks, 90 lb blocks of butter carved into the likeness of Princess Kay of the Milky Way, and all the milk you can drink for $1. It’s heavenly.
So you can imagine that after a weekend at the fair spent indulging in such foods as candied bacon cannoli and mini donut flavored beer (yes, you heard me correctly), I am more than ready for something a little lighter. Which brings me to this delightful little salad I concocted. This is pretty much the antithesis of anything one would eat at the fair, and is exactly what I was craving.
The reason it’s so delicious (not to mention beautiful) has to do with the relationship between watermelon and salt. There’s something about a little saltiness that brings out the sweetness of watermelon in full force. A dash of salt provides the perfect contrast to the watermelon’s sweetness and really makes it shine. And you can take it a step further by pairing watermelon with something like a briny feta cheese, as I did here. This recipe couldn’t be easier to make, and makes for a nice, refreshing dish on a hot summer day - what’s not to love?
Watermelon Salad with Feta and Mint
serves 3-4 as a side
I happened to have both yellow and red watermelon which I used to make this salad. But it also works great with one or the other if you don’t feel like buying two watermelons. Of course, if you like watermelon as much as I do, having multiple watermelons on hand shouldn’t be a problem.
- 2-3 cups watermelon seeded and cut into ~½ inch pieces
- 1 cup cucumber cut into ~½ inch pieces
- 3 oz feta cheese cut into small cubes
- 2 Tbsp chopped mint
- 1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. Place all ingredients in large bowl and mix to combine. Serve immediately.
