Make Ahead
Watermelon, Tomato and Feta Salad
- Makes enough to bring to a potluck
Author Notes
Earlier this summer, I decided to bring a Greek salad to a 4th of July potluck. I went to the grocery store armed with a list: cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, feta. And then all the onions looked abominable, and the scallions were so bright and fresh; and there were these adorable little "personal watermelons" on sale, and I just couldn't resist. I may have regretted the watermelon a few times while biking home with it in my backpack, but in the end I think this salad was worth it. It bears only a passing resemblance to an "authentic" Greek salad, but then, everyone seems to have their own idea of what authenticity means when it comes to bowls full of chopped tomato and cucumber goodness with plenty of feta and olive oil and vinegar and does it really matter, in the end? It's summer; just go pick up some beautiful, red tomatoes and a watermelon disguised as a bowling ball, make this salad, and round up some summery company to share it with. —summersavory
Ingredients
-
1/2
a small seedless watermelon (2-3 pounds of fruit)
-
5
nice, ripe tomatoes
-
1
english cucumber
-
1 bunch
scallions
-
1/2 pound
feta cheese
-
1/3 cup
red wine vinegar
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1/4 cup
olive oil
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dried oregano (to taste-I like to use a good bit)
Directions
- Remove the rind from the watermelon and cut the fruit into 1/2 inch cubes; toss them into a large bowl. Core and chop the tomatoes into pieces of a similar size and add them in. Likewise, cut up and add the cucumber. Slice the scallions (the white AND green parts) into small rounds and toss them in as well. For the feta, you can either cut it into small pieces (I like much smaller cubes of the cheese than of the fruits) or crumble it in.
- Pour the vinegar and oil over the chopped stuff and toss gently. It will be very juicy and the watermelon will likely not remain in neat cubes, but that's alright-just let it happen. Add as much or as little dried oregano as you like. A tablespoon or so suits my taste, but yours may vary. And that's it-all done. You don't need to keep all the liquid when you serve it if you'd rather have a less watery presentation, but the liquid is delicious stuff, so you might also just serve it all with good bread to soak up some of the juice. Alternatively, you could throw in some cubed, dry bread and call it a panzanella! I personally don't much like that sort of salad because I prefer to control the mushiness level of my bread, but don't let that stop you-go forth and innovate!
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