And back to blogging! It has been a nice few weeks off here at the farm. Not that we haven’t been busy cooking, but one of the few “downsides” of food writing (there aren’t really any downsides) is that we are often in search of the next new thing. Meanwhile, there are dozens of great recipes we want to revisit. So we spent a few weeks making some of our favorites. Lots of Caprese salads, barbecue, fish and rice bowls, summer corn salads and many a few Caipirinhas for the World Cup. All good.

But we did try a few new things, including this salad of fresh watermelon with feta cheese and some mint and radishes. Now, watermelon and feta salads are nothing new, and they are very tasty. But we found this recipe to be an improvement on the original. Not that there is anything wrong with the surprisingly good combination of sweet melon and salty feta, but this is a recipe that you can certainly tune and tweak to your tastes.

In this case we adapted a recipe in the Lobster Roll cookbook (from the Hampton’s fish shack of the same name) that adds some mint, radish and a balsamic vinaigrette. You get some herbal notes from the mint, heat and crunch from the radishes and the balsamic adds a welcome tang to the sweet and salty notes. More flavor, more texture…good stuff. And still a very easy salad to put together.

The only issues with this recipe are in the details. Use only the best / sweetest watermelon, taste your feta for salt and adjust the seasoning, and definitely taste your radishes for heat and tune for your taste. A little kick from the radishes is a good thing, too much….not so good.

Otherwise, this is a perfect salad to serve with big, rich summer dishes like steaks, burgers and/or barbecue. The bright flavors cut through the fat and clean the palate for your next bite. Perfect for outdoor dining.

Watermelon and Feta Salad with Mint and Radish:

Notes Before You Start:

• No notes, once you have a watermelon you need recipes. This is a good one.

What You Get: A light, flavorful and refreshing summer salad. Something to do with the watermelon you bought at the farmers market.

What You Need: No special equipment required.

How Long? About 15 minutes, mostly cubing watermelon.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups (3-4 pounds) of watermelon, cut in about 1 inch cubes
• 8 red radishes, thinly sliced
• 1/2 pound feta cheese, crumbled
• 12 mint leaves, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Assemble:

1. In a small bowl, mix the oil and vinegar.
2. Add the watermelon, radishes, mint and feta to a large salad bowl. Add half the dressing, toss well and taste. Add more dressing and seasoning as needed. Serve.