WATERMELON SHINES IN SAVOURY SUMMER SALAD
Now that we’re officially into summer (hip hip hurrah!) watermelon is a constant in the shopping cart.
I don’t know about you, but it’s always a guessing game when I pick one up. Sure, I check that’s it feels heavy and has that telltale yellow spot which is supposed to ensure ripeness but, honestly, when it comes to watermelon, you get what you get. I cross my fingers and leave it up to chance.
Kind of like when I buy a lottery ticket. Recently, I picked up two of those small, rotund watermelons. They were nestled together in the same bin, in the same store, and had the same sticker on their rind. The one I gave my mom was sweet and juicy. The one I saved for myself was the worst — mushy and flavourless. It was the kind of watermelon that makes you sad and vow you’ll never buy again. But, when you get a melon like that of my mom’s — sweet, juicy, ripe, and no mush in sight — it’s the stuff of summertime bliss.
It has no seeds, of course. Do they even grow watermelon with seeds anymore? I think we all have memories of being kids and sitting on picnic tables, having watermelon seed spitting contests. Now, the seeds are those small, pallid pips. The black watermelon seeds of our youth are now forgotten, like Sony Walkmans and phones with cords.
The cool thing about watermelon is it’s pretty much a blank slate. It’s a dandy base for granita, Popsicles and cocktails. Slice a big one in half, scoop out the guts and you have a seasonal bowl for your watermelon punch. Put cubes of it on skewers, along with other chunks of fruit and you have a fun and tasty snack for the kids. And, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can even carve one for some summertime fun. Once upon a time in cooking school, I carved a watermelon in the shape of the Titanic. True story. It was the late 1990s and the blockbuster movie had just come out. Leo and Kate were so young. Then again, so was I.
My favourite way to eat watermelon lately is in a salad. For those who have never tried this somewhat strange combination of watermelon, feta, mint, lime, olives and red onions before, I know you may be scared, but trust me, it all works together swimmingly. It’s savoury and refreshing, and easy to toss together at the last minute for entertaining.
So why is this salad so darn good? The sweetness of the melon is balanced by the salty, creamy feta cheese and briny olives. The red onion adds an obvious contrast, and it’s key to let the very thin slices mingle in the fresh lime juice for several minutes, as this will help cut some of its sharpness.
And don’t hold back on the fresh mint — it really does tie all of the flavours together. If you’re like me and have a giant pot of mint just outside the door, you’re always looking for ways to use it. Don’t bother chopping the parsley though — those leaves can be left as is, or torn. Dress it with a nice, fruity extra virgin olive oil, and a good amount of fresh black pepper to finish. If I haven’t convinced you on the magic of these ingredients amalgamated together, and you’re not too keen on the onions and olives in this salad, it’s perfectly acceptable to omit them. You lose some of the complexity of flavours, but it’s still a gorgeous way to eat watermelon. This salad looks very pretty on a large platter, and tastes even better when a crowd of those you adore are gathered around. That’s what summer is about, right?