Saturday, June 13, 2009

Watermelon and Watercress Salad with Ginger



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I've watched this group of women work their way through past challenges in which one member selects an ingredient the others must use. I wanted to join them but I suffered from lack of time or brain drain each time one of their challenges came up. I vowed to jump into the pool this time around only to find that this week's BSI (Blogger Secret Ingredient) is watermelon. I wasn't thrilled. I have a limited watermelon repertoire, but I had committed, so, watermelon it will be. My recipe is for a really lovely salad that's combines watermelon, watercress and mint with a few extras such as cucumber, ginger and feta cheese. The recipe first appeared in Epicurious. I've adapted it slightly to better suit the tastes of my family. The completed salad is chilled and tossed with a lime based dressing just before serving. It is lovely and I think it will please everyone at your table.

Watermelon and Watercress Salad with Ginger...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lime peel
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups 1/2-inch pieces peeled seedless watermelon
1 large bunch watercress, thick stems trimmed (about 2 cups packed)
1 cup 1/2-inch pieces peeled seeded cucumber (about 1/2 large)
4 green onions, thinly sliced diagonally
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
3 to 4 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese (optional)

Preparation:
1) Whisk vinegar, oil, ginger, lime peel, and garlic in large bowl to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2) Add watermelon, watercress, cucumber, green onions and mint to bowl; toss to coat. Divide salad among 4 plates. Sprinkle each salad with a portion of feta. Yield: 4 servings.

I'm sending this over to Kim at The Ungourmet for my first entry into BSI (Blogger Secret Ingredient). It's also going to Debbie at Mountain Breaths for her Kick-Off to Summer BBQ event.

28 comments :

Charlotte said...

What a beautiful salad and I'm sure it's very tasty too.
Very creative.
Charlotte

theUngourmet said...

Wonderful combination of flavors. I love the ginger and mint in this. Very nice!

Great photo too! :0)

Mary | Deep South Dish said...

I think you did a fantastic job! So light and just shouts summer!!

Unknown said...

How do you make time for all these recipes?your amazing. :)and thanks.

MyKitchenInHalfCups said...

That is glorious! I love watermelon and it rarely get assembled into anything before it's gone at our house ... that's really saying something too because my husband is an apple eater not a watermelon eater.
Your salad looks like it might be good enough to get me to actually put the watermelon into something ;)

Katy ~ said...

Lovely combination of flavors. A welcomed twist on fruit salad. I would love to try this.

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

Great combination of ingredients. I don't think I would like that game but I can see how it would be fun but I would feel pressure.
You've made a lovely summer salad. If you take it to a party, it would be the star of the buffet.
Sam

Martha said...

Watermelon/feta cheese salads have become very popular of late -- and I've never tried them although this does look good.

Sue said...

Hi Mary
This looks like a great recipe,as watermelon is soon to be plentiful here on the farm.. What flavor of mint is it? I grow chocolate and spearmint. Thank you for sharing.
Sue

Donna-FFW said...

Perfect addition for the BSI roundup, Mary. Looks delicious!

Heather S-G said...

I love all of the flavors in here, Mary!! And it's pretty, too ;)

Mary Bergfeld said...

Charlotte, I'm so glad you found us. I hope you'll come by whenever you can.

Mary Bergfeld said...

Sue, I used spearmint. I think chocolate mint might confuse the tongue.

Pat@Back Porch Musings said...

I'm saving this to try! It looks wonderful!!

SavoringTime in the Kitchen said...

Your salad sounds perfect and refreshing for summer!

Susan said...

What a delicious salad...so fresh! Its lunch time here and I would love to sit down to this!

Anonymous said...

Very festive looking salad...I think I will like the addition of ginger. I have been big into ginger lately.

NKP said...

I love the flavours going on, sounds so tasty and refreshing for summer.

Allie said...

This looks amazing. So fresh and inviting!

katrina said...

What a fresh looking ( and I bet tasting) salad! I've been eating watermelon, gorgonzola, and arugula with lemon dressing - this has some brilliant flavors mixing it up!
Thanks!

Creative Classroom Core said...

What a fresh and tasty summertime salad! Thanks for sharing!

Debbie@Mountain Breaths said...

Sounds wonderful! I have selected a watermelon salad for an upcoming garden party, and this is another I would like to try. Thanks for joining the Kick Off to Summer event!

Debbie

Carol said...

That salad looks so fresh and so delicious! Interesting combo of flavors! Looks amazing and perfect for a kick-off to summer!

Selba said...

Beautiful color! Ginger with watermelon that's new to me but sounds great :)

Marta said...

oh yes, perfectly elegant and refreshing! Great presentation, I love this salad. The ginger must just add the perfect zip at the end! Thanks for sharing it!

Suzy said...

Bet that was fresh tasting. I have been experimenting with watermelon over the past couple of years try to expand my repetoire. I'll have to give this one a try. Thanks!

A Grain of Salt said...

Such a fresh and interesting combination.

Foley said...

The salad really looks refreshing!! Great recipe for watermelon...

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