A Salad That Screams Summer

A yellow doll watermelon makes a colorful companion for summer tomatoes.
metrocurean photo

Ludlum's, the farm stand a few miles down the road here at the beach in North Carolina, almost always has a nice crop of yellow doll watermelons this time of year. The miniature melons are super sweet and a gorgeous shade of yellow. Kids really love them because, well, watermelons are supposed to be red.

Mid-June is also when the first local tomatoes, grown out of the sandy coastal soil, have fattened up and turned flaming red. They're piled on our counter beside my Shenandoah Growers basil plant, which made the trip with me from DC.

This cast of characters brings me to one of my favorite summer salads: a simple composition of chopped tomatoes, watermelon, basil and a sprinkling of crumbled feta cheese. Balsamic vinegar, salt, or a little olive oil is optional.

Using a yellow melon makes it even more beautiful. You could of course reverse the color combo with yellow (or green or purple) heirloom tomatoes and red watermelon.

For an easy hors d'oeuvre, skewer the fruits, basil and a firm feta on wooden sticks.

Comments

Anonymous said…
this looks delish! can't wait to try it! we just harvested a melon that I didn't know was yellow inside from our home garden here in DC . it's quite juicy! my eight year old will be so excited for this recipe -- thanks for this post!
8/18/2010 10:01 AM
Amanda said…
As a kid, I used to think those yellow doll watermelons were the coolest. Actually, I still do. =)

Glad you like the post and let me know if you try the salad!
8/18/2010 11:24 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

ENTERTAIN } For The Love Of Salt

Image
I'm bidding a reluctant adieu to summer on this first day of fall and looking back with fond memories on one of the season's highlights — our Summer Salt Fest at the Gordy's Pickle Jar headquarters. Ever since opening Salt & Sundry three years ago, I've been dreaming of a down-home party that celebrates all things salty. With the perfect partners in crime, Sarah and Sheila of Gordy's, and my phenomenal team at Salt & Sundry, we hosted a gathering of good friends and toasted our shared love of salt. The feast included fried chicken, boiled peanuts ( made by my husband !), Rappahannock' s Olde Salt oysters, deviled eggs topped with Gordy's Sweet Pepper Relish, and probably the best fried pickles I've ever eaten (yes, I've eaten a lot) ... Gordy's Sweet Chips and Cajun Okra dipped in roasted garlic aioli. There was crisp Virginia rosé from Early Mountain Vineyards , local brews from 3 Stars and DC Brau , and a watermelon cooler tha...
keep reading »

STYLE } Bar Styling Tips with Framebridge

Image
  I've always been noncommittal when it come to putting anything on my walls. Art? Photos? Prints? But what if I change my mind? Add the hassle of framing something and voila, a growing pile of unframed prints and photos gathers dust on a shelf. So I much appreciated a recent gentle nudge from friends at  Framebridge , a DC-based company that's making it easier and less expensive to get those pretty-if-neglected pieces framed and on display. We hung out at my place, whipped up some Green Hat gin and tonics, and I shared tips for stocking and styling your bar at home. (Any old table will do!) And yes, I actually put a nail in the wall and hung a print. Head this way for my full interview with Framebridge . Cheers! all photos by  Laura Metzler Photography  for Framebridge
keep reading »

Hello Cupcake Opens

Image
Cupcakes await the first customers at Hello Cupcake For a sweet spot in this final week of August, head to Hello Cupcake , which opens at 10 a.m. today at 1351 Connecticut Ave. NW. I had the chance to sample a few flavors with owner Penny Karas. The fluffy icing on the peanut butter blossom (above) is seriously addictive, and the seasonal root beer flavor is a delightful surprise with spicy root beer cake topped with vanilla cream cheese frosting. I'm going for a Velvet Elvis, banana cake with peanut butter frosting, next. There are gluten-free and vegan options on the menu, as well. Check out all the flavors here . Metrocurean photo
keep reading »