When we made this watermelon salad for a friend, he gave it a lovely compliment: “This tastes,” he said, “like a summer garden smells.” It’s refreshing, sweet, salty, herbal, and tangy—a great antidote to a hot summer day.
Yield:
8 servingsIngredients
6–7 cups cubed watermelon (1-inch chunks, from an 8- to 9-pound melon)
1 seedless (English) cucumber, peeled or unpeeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
5 ounces fresh feta cheese, crumbled
Instructions
In a large bowl, gently toss the watermelon with the cucumber, mint, basil, and salt. Sprinkle with lime juice and cayenne, if you’re using it, and toss again. Just before serving, top with feta.