Summer

Watermelon and Heirloom Tomato Salad

by:
July 24, 2010
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Watermelon and Heirloom Tomato Salad
  • Serves 6
Author Notes

The sweetness of the watermelon compliments the acidity of the tomatoes and adds a nice textural contrast. I like to use Cherokee purple and small green zebras because of their colors, but I think any variety would look and taste great. The feta cheese provides the perfect salty bite and the orange zest brings out all the flavors. Mint, the perfect summer herb, adds an extra layer of freshness. —cucinettaNYC

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 baby seedless watermelon, cut into 1 inch rounds
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest
  • 1 tablespoon good quality fruity olive oil, plus more to drizzle
  • 2 cups assorted heirloom tomatoes - various colors and shapes
  • 3 ounces crumbled Greek feta
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 10 mint leaves, cut into chiffonade strips
Directions
  1. Place orange zest in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and let it infuse.
  2. Next, using a 3 inch cookie/biscuit cutter, cut out 6 rounds from the watermelon slices. Place rounds in refrigerator to keep cool and crisp. You will have extra watermelon which you can cut up and store for future use.
  3. Cut tomatoes into chunks and place in bowl and add zest with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.
  4. To plate, remove watermelon rounds from refrigerator and place one round on each plate. Top watermelon round with tomatoes (about 1/3 cup per person). Sprinkle feta and mint on top of tomato and watermelon. At this point you may want to drizzle some more oil and serve.
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15 Reviews

Crispy
Crispy August 30, 2011
Delicious and beautiful! Perfect summertime recipe to bring to a party. I served it with pan sauteed hog snapper and Amanda's Summer Squash Gratin with Salsa Verde and Gruyere. Big hit at my house!
 
drkate
drkate July 4, 2011
I added a squeeze of lemon juice and a couple of handsfuls of blueberries, and it's a perfect 4th of July salad!
Thanks so much!
 
alittleofthisalittleofthat
alittleofthisalittleofthat August 3, 2010
I can't get enough of your dishes, cucinettaNYC!
 
cucinettaNYC
cucinettaNYC August 3, 2010
Thank you so much alittleofthisalittleofthat (btw, love your name). You are too kind!
 
kotyk
kotyk July 30, 2010
What a great use for watermelon. I am going to try it this weekend!
 
cucinettaNYC
cucinettaNYC July 30, 2010
Thank you, kotyk, let me know how it goes!
 
vova
vova July 30, 2010
A great bouquet of flavors skillfully composed. going to the garden for some mint!
 
cucinettaNYC
cucinettaNYC July 30, 2010
Yes, the mint is a wonderful addition. Fresh from the garden is even better!
 
cucinettaNYC
cucinettaNYC July 30, 2010
Yikes, I hope my answer is not too late. It really depends on the tomato. If you choose larger heirlooms, you could probably use 2 (since it is only 1/3 cup per serving and heirlooms can be quite large.) I typically get 1 medium sized cherokee and 3-4 smaller green zebras which I quarter. Hope this helps.
 
alittleofthisalittleofthat
alittleofthisalittleofthat July 30, 2010
This sounds great. I am heading to my local green market. I was wondering approximately how many tomatoes yields 2 cups for the recipe? I can't wait to make this today .. maybe even for lunch. I can never delay gratification. ;)
 
cucinettaNYC
cucinettaNYC July 30, 2010
Sorry - see my comment above. Let me know it turns out.
 
BabarFan
BabarFan July 25, 2010
I made this for company last night and they raved about it and made such a fuss. I loved how these delicious summer flavors went so well together. It was an unexpected pairing, but just goes to show that you shouldn't judge it until you've tried it. I can't wait to try CucinettaNYC's peach and heirloom tomato salad next. This chick knows what she's doing. Simple, flavorful, seasonal and delicious!
 
cucinettaNYC
cucinettaNYC July 28, 2010
Thank you!
 
dymnyno
dymnyno July 24, 2010
Wow...I had this at a local St Helena restaurant last night...they used burrata instead of feta (is burrata the new feta?) and it was gorgeous...pink and red and so cool!
 
cucinettaNYC
cucinettaNYC July 24, 2010
Yum! If you like burrata, you should look at my "No CooK" Tomato Sauce recipe. I think burrata is divine !