Watermelon slices make it onto most Americans' plates during summer cookouts, but it's usually as an afterthought: Oh, we need a fruit to balance the heaps of glorious barbecued meat? Cue the tray of watermelon.
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Watermelon2-PSWatermelon2-PSBut I never thought watermelon received the treatment it deserves. Never, that is, until my mother served my family a watermelon-feta salad: Cubes of cold watermelon tossed with basil, olive oil, sunflower seeds, and feta. Immediately, an afterthought of a dish jumped to entrée status.
Sink your teeth into these juicy chunks and you'll understand why the salty-sweet marriage works so well. The sunflower seeds add a nutty flavor and a little crunch, and the basil makes the whole dish lighter and even more refreshing.
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In this thick, summer heat, who wants to turn on the oven to make dinner, anyway? Just throw together these ingredients (feel free to embellish or swap any of the following), and you'll have yourself a sweet and savory spin on a tired, typical fruit salad.
Watermelon-Feta Salad
The great thing about this recipe is that you can eyeball all the ingredients, but if you're more comfortable playing by the rules, here are some measurements.
What you'll need:
¼ of a chilled watermelon, cubed (or a 4 lb container of pre-cut watermelon)
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp sunflower seeds
2-3 ounces feta, cubed/crumbled
5 basil leaves, torn
Salt and pepper
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How to make it:
Place the watermelon in a large bowl, drizzle with the oil, and toss gently. Toss in the sunflower seeds, feta, and basil and toss again; season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serves 5-8
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