It's TOO DAMN HOT!

It is TOO DAMN HOT!

I hate the heat, I hate humidity, and the past two weeks have been my version of Hell. I don’t recall crossing the river Styx, have never met or received a boat ride from anyone named Charon, but day after day I feel as though I’m in Hades. Everything is muggy, mossy, and disgusting, and I almost lose my appetite completely in this weather. Almost.

There is one thing that I love to make in the midst of the summer heat – it’s sweet, salty, and juicy – the perfect dish to shore up the nutrients and liquid that we sweat out. It also happens to be delicious, as was proved to me by my darling friend, Doug, who routinely finds my cooking mediocre at best, but has commented approvingly of this one dish for its tastiness and uniqueness frequently. If this meat-and-potatoes-guy takes a liking to a salad (a pink salad, nonetheless), then I’ll consider it an easily universal hit.

The Watermelon Salad is part leafy-green, part salty tanginess, and part juicy watermelon. None of the ingredients, apart from the watermelon, are requisite or above substitution (even the watermelon could probably be passed over for some cantelope or honey dew in a pinch), and the quantities and presentation can be made your own. For mine, I like to really rough chop everything – asymmetry and tumbled-togetherness sort of ups the appeal, but you can make it to your individual taste.

1 Watermelon, rough chopped
6-8 oz. Feta cheese, rough chopped
6 oz. Black or Kalamata Olives
Big bunch Parsley, rough chopped
Bunch of Mint, rough chopped
1/2 Cup Basil, rough chopped
1 Red Onion
Juice from 1 Lime
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

Slice your red onion into thin half moon shapes (slice in half, and then slice down perpendicularly to the layers). Put into a bowl with the lime juice; the acidity of the lime juice neutralizes the sting of the onions, leaving a crisp and tangy flavor, without the face-scrunching sourness.

Toss your chopped watermelon, feta, parsley, mint, and basil into the big serving bowl. Pour your olives with just a bit of their olive juice on top, and, after soaking for 5-10 minutes, add your lime juice and onion. Drizzle a good amount of extra virgin olive oil on the top – just enough to coat, but not so much that there’s a puddle on the bottom of your dish. Add salt and pepper to taste.

This salad is perfect for summer dinner parties. The vibrant colors look beautiful plated, it’s attention-grabbing, and competes with or complements nicely a big hunk of meat from the grill.