Friday's Fixin's: Summer Watermelon and Feta Salad

 Happy Summer!  Can you believe that it is already July 12th?  Is summer flying or what?  I always feel like after July 4th, time seems to move at warp speed. I wish that there were a magic switch to slow down time. Alas.

Anyhoo, I’m thrilled to share the most PERFECT summer salad with you.  Chef Maili and I were back in the kitchen having great fun, telling stories, taste testing and dutifully coming up with yummy and always easy-peasy recipes.

This watermelon and feta salad is just that: yummy and easy peasy. The Silver Lining is that the watermelon can be cubed up to a day in advance so that it’s easy to assemble just prior to eating.  The key, in fact, is to assemble it just before eating to avoid it getting soggy or “muddy” as our friend Blue suggested.

This really is the perfect summer salad.  I hope that you love it!

Watermelon and Feta Salad

Chef Maili Brocke

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sized Seedless watermelon (or 2 mini-seedless watermelons)
• 10.5 ounces of (firm!) feta cheese (we love the Trader Joe’s brand)
• The juice of 2 limes
• 3 tablespoons of honey
• Heaping handful of chopped mint
• Option: Coarse ground Chili pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Cut the watermelon into 1” chunks and put into a bowl.
2. Crumble feta on top.
3. Squeeze lime juice into jar (Maili prefers a glass jar), add honey and mix together.
4. Drizzle over the top of watermelon and feta.
5. Sprinkle mint on top.
6. Serve immediately!

We love watermelon in our family.  It is the great summer fruit. The Silver Lining is that there are many health benefits of eating watermelon!

• Watermelon’s red pulpy flesh contains the “mother of all antioxidants,” glutathione, which is known to help strengthen the immune system.
• Watermelon is packed with some of the most important antioxidants found in nature.
• It is an excellent source of vitamin C and a very good source of vitamin A, particularly through its concentration of beta-carotene.
• Red watermelon is also a source of the potent carotene antioxidant which is called lycopene. These antioxidants travel throughout the body neutralizing free radicals. Free radicals are substances in the body that can cause much damage to us. They are able to oxidize cholesterol, making it stick to blood vessel walls and thicken them which can lead to hearty attack or stroke. The lycopene which gives fruits the attractive red color that we find in watermelon can help reduce the risks of prostate cancer. It is a surprising fact that watermelon is the only fruit that contains higher concentrations of lycopene than any other fresh fruit or vegetable.
• Watermelon is 92% water and is rich in electrolytes. It helps the body replace fluids and minerals lost through sweating, while reducing the risk of dehydration. It is an excellent fruit to quench summer thirst.
• Watermelon is rich in the B vitamins necessary for energy production. Food experts recommend watermelon as a very good source of vitamin B6 and a good source of vitamin B1 and magnesium. Because of its higher water content approximately ninety percent and calorie value it is ranked more valuable than other fruits.
• Watermelon is low in calories and fat free but helps energy production.
• Watermelon is a diuretic and it helps the body flush out harmful toxins. It purifies liver, stimulates kidney function and reduces uric acid levels in the blood.

Extra special thanks to my friend Blue Caleel for taking the photographs today. As usual, I was doing a face plant in the FOOD (which happened to be a Silver Lining – just sayin’!).

PS – YES, my dress has radishes all over it. I felt inspired on our cooking day!