Summer Watermelon Salad

Raised as a Country Girl in North Carolina, fresh fruits and veggies were a major staple of my daily diet. I walked out the back door and “real” food awaited me. This salad is a grown up version of a watermelon salad my Grandmother Baker use to make (See at bottom of post her version of the salad) This salad is cool and refreshing- makes a perfect starter for light summer meal (makes for a great dessert as well).

Ingredients

About ½ of a medium Watermelon (chill whole over night in the refrigerator)

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Handful of baby greens (baby spinach work well)

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

4 chilled glass plates

Preparation

Wash the watermelon, cut and remove the rind, trim away the pale flesh, leaving only bright red flesh

Cut the watermelon into ¾ - 1-inch cubes (sticks work great with kids- easy pickup)

Arranging the salad

Place a small amount of greens on the chilled plate
Add the watermelon cubes (be creative- can dress this salad up or down
Sprinkle with crumbled feta and baby greens

Dressing the salad

In glass bowl, combine olive oil and balsamic vinegar and whisk until well combined
Drizzle the salad with the vinaigrette and serve.


Grandmother Baker’s Watermelon Salad

Ingredients

Open the refrigerator and scoop out a bowl full of melon (she used an ice cream scoop- always a cold melon in the frig during the summer)
A handful of hoop cheese (crumbled if not to hot in the house- otherwise a little or it really hot a lot stretchy)
Head lettuce Leaves (Ice berge to the younger crowd) washed and dried
a cup or two of watermelon juice (from the frig melon)
Salt and Sugar to taste
Small cup of salad dressing (in later years I learned that meant ½ cup)

Arranging the salad:

You start with a lettuce leaf in your bowl (her dressing required a bowl so you can “keep it all in”, drop the watermelon pieces on the lettuce leaf, followed by the cheese

Dressing the salad:

In a bowl put in the salad dressing, watermelon juice, salt and sugar (to taste- I learned meant sweet and salty). Using a wooden spoon, she would beat it until she like the look of it. Spoon on salad and go eat.


On this date 9 years ago my Grandmother Baker died. I miss stepping out the back door into my country roots but the memories and recipes will always be here to stay.