Watermelon and Feta Salad with Cucumber and Mint

One summer, a few years back, some family friends came to stay with us on our house on Long Island.

I was pickier then: still not picky, but definitely not the adventurous eater I am now. A salad much like this one appeared on our table one afternoon while we BBQed: watermelon, scallions, cheese, lettuce… a mix of very strange ingredients, and not one that I was intrigued to try. I was just about to pass over it, when Celeste–the woman who had made it and who had served as a second mother for me the entire time we lived in the same building and her son and I were playmates–heaped a spoonful on my plate.

At this point in my life, I was quite opposed to the idea of mixing sweet with savory, especially in main dishes (i.e. salted caramel-okay, duck à l’orange-no, thanks.) But it was already on my plate, edging its way over to where my perfect corn on the cob was, and so I took a bite.

It was heavenly: I never imagined that salty feta and sweet watermelon could ever produce such a harmonious mix, but they did. I ate every bit of that salad, going back for more two or three times.

I asked my mother time and time again to get me the recipe. For years, I waited, requesting it as my “coming home” meal when I arrived on Long Island each summer. But alas, each year my prayers went unanswered, and each year, I ended up heading back to school without having had my fill of that salad.

A few days ago, as I perused the market at Bercy right before it closed, I had a watermelon nearly handed to me. A woman, ready to rid her stall of the last few things so she could pack up and go home, was offering a few 500 gram barquettes of strawberries, bananas or kiwis and quarters of massive red watermelons for one euro apiece. I try very had not to succumb to the urge to take advantage of deals at the market–I end up with more produce than I know what to do with–but this deal was too good to pass up. I settled on strawberries and watermelon, and as I carried them back home, it took all my willpower not to devour them there in the street.

I had already been at my favorite cheesemonger earlier (remind me to tell you about him soon… he’s my new favorite person in the world, this week), and amongst my selection of cheeses sat a block of feta, wrapped first in plastic and then in paper to keep it from dripping all over the rest of my cheeses. I knew immediately when I tucked the watermelon and strawberries into my bag what I would be making for lunch.

I still never received the recipe from my mother. I had searched in vain for the same recipe online, but none of them had the same ingredients, the same combination I remembered. I decided to wing it, and what I ended up with is even better than the salad I remember.

I got rid of the onions and lettuce: all they did was get in the way. I made a simple dressing from the juice of a lime and a bit of extra virgin olive oil (use the good stuff for a salad like this), seasoned simply with salt and pepper. The market had also provided me with a fresh mint plant, and so that was put to good use too: a generous chiffonade sprinkled over the top. I knew that I would need something else: something neutral to play off the sweetness of the watermelon and the tangy saltiness of the feta. Cucumber seemed to be the perfect foil, and so in it went.

The result is the perfect summer salad: bright and flavorful with lots of color. It’s great as I first had it: a side dish at a summer BBQ, but for me, it also makes the perfect stand-alone lunch, a great way to ring in the spring and hope for summer’s swift arrival.

This is my entry for this month’s FIC: Red and Green. I’m slipping in just under the deadline, but if you want to contribute your own post, you have until the end of today!

Watermelon and Feta Salad with Cucumber and Mint

Note: A key element of this salad is fresh herbs: I’m a huge advocate for the ease of dried ones, but it’s definitely not worth it in this case. If you don’t have mint, feel free to use basil instead. If you have neither, you can use mint oil. If you have none of the above, omit the ingredient entirely.

1/4 watermelon, diced into bite-sized chunks
1/2 cucumber
2 oz. feta cheese, crumbled (I like to leave the feta in rather large chunks: personal preference)
1 lime
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (I beg of you, break out the good stuff: it makes all the difference)
4-5 fresh mint leaves, chiffonade
salt and pepper

Slice the half cucumber down the middle and then cut each half so that you have a pile of half-moons about a half-inch wide. Toss the cucumber and the diced melon in a large salad bowl. Sprinkle the cheese on top, and season with salt and black pepper. Drizzle the olive oil and the juice of the lime over the top. Sprinkle the chiffonade of mint leaves on top of the salad as a garnish.

The colors of the salad look best before tossing, so if you’re making this for company, I recommend serving like this and tossing at the table. Alternatively, you can toss the watermelon and cucumber with the oil, lime juice, salt and pepper and then add the cheese and mint at the end.