Ingredient of the Month
June: Watermelon

If you love watermelon in the warmer months, then this will be a refreshing way to serve it at your next outdoor lunch or dinner party – Watermelon and Arugula Salad with Feta and Tapenade.  The juxtaposition of salty cheese and sweet, crunchy watermelon is sure to please.

Buying: Select a firm, symmetrical watermelon with a healthy sheen, a dried stem, and a buttery, yellow underside where it once touched the ground. It should have a fragrant melon scent, and a slightly waxy texture.

Storing: Once picked watermelon should be refrigerated. Once cut, watermelon should be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated to prevent it from drying out.

Preparing: Watermelon is often eaten on its own, sliced and quartered. It can be cut into cubes or scooped out to form balls. Pureed, it makes a delightful sorbet.

Fact: Watermelon seeds are edible, and in some Asian regions are eaten roasted and salted.


Watermelon and Arugula Salad with Feta and Tapenade

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Black pepper in a mill
¼ cup tapenade
About 3 pounds seedless watermelon, rind removed, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 cups loosely packed arugula (about 2 ounces arugula), tough stems removed, well washed in several changes of cold water and spun dry
½ cup crumbled goat cheese feta (from about 3 ounces cheese)







Method:

Make the vinaigrette: Put the lime juice, corn syrup, and olive oil in a mixing bowl and whisk them together. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and about 6 grinds of black pepper. Add the tapenade to the bowl and stir it into the vinaigrette.

Divide the watermelon cubes among 4 chilled salad plates. Dress the arugula with the vinaigrette and divide among the plates, piling it atop the watermelon. Scatter some crumbled cheese over each salad. Serve.

VARIATION Use sheep’s-milk or “regular” feta in place of the goat cheese feta.