Watermelon salad or dip recipes to enjoy this summer

While slicing a watermelon into triangles is an easy way to enjoy its wonderful, refreshing taste, did you know it also works in a salad?

THE wonderful, refreshing taste of watermelon is one of the juicy delights children seem to thrive on.

There’s little work to do in preparing them. They are an easy — if somewhat messy — treat when eaten straight from the chopping board as a delicious pink triangle, complete with built-in “handle” provided by the thick, inedible skin.

The crunch and refreshing taste of watermelon also goes well with the other ingredients in this delicious salad, which I often serve alongside spicy curries or Middle Eastern dishes.

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I particularly like the contrast between the cool melon and the salty smoothness of the feta cheese. It’s worth seeking out a strong cheese for this dish rather than opting for an insipid, bland feta.

I’ve used just a small amount of red chilli. If you’re a fan of chilli heat, add a little more.

When I served this to a friend who could rightly be described as a typical “roast beef and three veg” person, there was a hint of reticence in his voice. But the first couple of crunches won him over.

Watermelon salad with onion, mint and feta. Picture: Dannika Bonser

WATERMELON SALAD

Serves 6-8

1 red onion

Juice and zest of 3 lemons

1kg ripe watermelon

250g salty feta cheese — taste before you buy

1 bunch fresh mint leaves, stalks removed

1 cup fresh moist dates (optional), halved and seeds removed

2 small chillies, finely chopped

3 tbsp olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Slice the onion into rings as finely as your can manage. If it’s easier, halve the onion and prepare half rings. Toss the onion slices in a small bowl with the lemon juice and zest.

Peel the watermelon and remove the pips. Try to use only the pinkest of flesh. Cut the flesh into large bite-size pieces. If they are cut too small the melon pieces will tend to disintegrate and the salad will lose its presentation impact.

Crumble the feta into rough pieces and combine with the melon in a large serving bowl. Toss carefully with the mint leaves, dates (if using) and chillies.

Finally, add the onions and the lemon juice and zest, drizzle on the oil and finish with a splash of balsamic vinegar.

Serve chilled.

WHICH MELON?

COLOUR, size and shape have little bearing on the flavour of the flesh between differing varieties.

Seedless varieties are not truly seedless, but actually do contain tiny, white, edible immature seeds in lesser amounts than traditional watermelons.

There are several schools of thought on how to select a properly ripened melon, but I’ve always used the thumping method with great success. When thumped by flicking the middle finger off the thumb against the melon, the melon should produce a deep, rich thudding sound. The skin should be dull and slightly waxy, yielding only slightly to pressure.

Melons will continue to ripen and soften a little at room temperature, but not much. Those picked before their prime will never develop full flavour.

Whole watermelon should be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Unless it’s a so-called seedless variety, an abundance of white seeds in a melon means it was picked before its prime.

Avoid those with white streaks through the flesh and those pieces where the flesh is grainy, dry and/or separating from the seeds.

Cut watermelon should be wrapped tightly, refrigerated and used within a few days.

REFRESHING WATERMELON DIP

TAKE a summer dip with this delicious way to serve watermelon on a warm day.

Heat oven to 180C (160C fan). On an oven tray roast 25g skinned hazelnuts and 25g sesame seeds separately until golden. Meanwhile, toast 2½ teaspoons coriander seeds and 2 teaspoons cumin seeds in a dry frying pan until fragrant, about a minute. Watch the pan as these will quickly burn if left too long. Cool everything.

Transfer the nuts, spices and 1 teaspoon sea salt, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon paprika and a pinch of cayenne pepper to a food processor, coffee grinder or mortar with a pestle. Blend to a coarse mix. This will store in an airtight jar for up to a month. Slice chilled watermelon into small, thin wedges. Trim the rind from the base of each wedge so they can stand up, brush the tops with a little olive oil and dip into the ground spice mix to serve.