Last weekend I hosted a baby shower brunch for a friend who is due in September. Thankfully, people ate heartily and we were left with few leftovers. As I began to pack things up, however, I realized that I still had half an uneaten watermelon that I had used as a base for fruit spears.
Watermelon, served in thick slices, is a treat that I associate with summer picnics and barbeques. Its size and juiciness lend itself to big outdoor gatherings. However, our guests has dispersed and there was no way that my roommate and I could consume all that melon.
Luckily, I was able to donate most of it to an undergraduate party. What remained I turned into a watermelon feta salad. I must admit I’d never eaten such a salad – I’d only been intrigued by the combination which I’d heard of over the years. I had assumed it was ‘California cuisine’, but web research leads me to believe it’s a traditional Greek dish. I couldn’t find conclusive evidence of this, so I’d welcome any comments or historical insight.
Incidentally, there are many other ways to serve watermelon – in soups, pies or grilled with meat. Maybe this summer I’ll post some more watermelon recipes.
Watermelon, served in thick slices, is a treat that I associate with summer picnics and barbeques. Its size and juiciness lend itself to big outdoor gatherings. However, our guests has dispersed and there was no way that my roommate and I could consume all that melon.
Luckily, I was able to donate most of it to an undergraduate party. What remained I turned into a watermelon feta salad. I must admit I’d never eaten such a salad – I’d only been intrigued by the combination which I’d heard of over the years. I had assumed it was ‘California cuisine’, but web research leads me to believe it’s a traditional Greek dish. I couldn’t find conclusive evidence of this, so I’d welcome any comments or historical insight.
Incidentally, there are many other ways to serve watermelon – in soups, pies or grilled with meat. Maybe this summer I’ll post some more watermelon recipes.
Serves 4Ingredients
1/8 of a watermelon, cut into 3/4 inch cubes (3-4 cups)
6 ounces feta, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 red onion, separated into rings (optional)
olive oil
2 cups spinach leaves
balsamic vinegar (optional)
lime (optional)
black pepper, to taste
Directions
1. Mix watermelon, feta and red onion. Coat with olive oil and mix well.
2. Serve on a bed of spinach leaves or mix with spinach leaves.
3. Dress with balsamic vinegar or lime juice and freshly ground black pepper.
5 comments:
It is a very common combination in Iran too - watermelon and feta, that is. I think you just snack on cut up pieces of both, no salad.
In Cyprus, during the hot summer months when watermelons are in season, we very often eat watermelon with Haloumi which is a very salty cheese so the same concept. My favourite experience was sitting on a beach as a child watching one of my relatives retrieve a watermelon from the sea which he had put there earlier in the day to keep it cold. He then cut it open and passed me a large slice of it with a big hunk of Haloumi. Heaven.
A real Greek, ie my mum, says it’s not traditionally common in ‘salad’ form but it is indeed not unusual to eat Watermelon and Feta together in some format.
Trust you are well.
Love
Nick
In Egypt, some people will only eat watermelon with white cheese but not necessarily feta.
In Egypt, too, people at the beach keep their watermelons in the sea to keep them cold.
easy and healthy summer treat.
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