This is a guest post from Susan Russo of Food Blogga.
Though traditionally eaten in sweet dishes, watermelon can also be savory in salsas and salads. This Watermelon and Olive Salad is adapted from a June 2006 recipe in Food and Wine. It’s sweet and salty and savory all at once, plus it’s a nutritional powerhouse with antioxidant-rich watermelon, shallot, mesclun, arugula, and parsley.
Here are a few tips on how to select and store watermelon.
Don’t bother thumping and slapping the watermelon to determine if it’s ripe. According to The National Watermelon Promotion Board, follow these three easy steps:
- Look for a firm, symmetrical watermelon that is free from bruises, cuts or dents.
- Lift it up to make sure it’s heavy for its size.
- Turn it over to find the creamy yellow spot where it sat on the ground and ripened.
Once you’ve selected your watermelon, wash it thoroughly and pat it dry before slicing. To make cutting it easier and safer, first cut the melon in half, then in quarters. Cut the flesh away from the rind, and then cut it into chunks. Place the cut watermelon in a sealed plastic container and refrigerate immediately. Properly stored, your watermelon should last from 4-7 days (unless you eat it all sooner).
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- ½ tsp sugar
- 6-8 cups mesclun, preferably with some arugula and radicchio mixed in
- ½-1 cup watermelon chunks
- 5-6 cured green olives, such as Cerignola or green Greek
- 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp watermelon juice
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
- Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat; add shallots and cooked until slightly caramelized about 5-7 minutes.
- Whisk 1 Tbsp olive oil, vinegar, and watermelon juice until blended. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add mesclun to plates, top with watermelon chunks, olive slices, and fresh parsley. Drizzle with dressing.
