Watermelon, Cucumber, Sheep Feta and Mint Salad
Serves 4 as an appetizer or 2 as a salad
Prep time: 30 minutes
This salad features creamy sheep feta cheese and fresh mint leaves nestled between crisp watermelon and cucumber slices, with a pop of great olives. It strikes just the right balance of sweet and salty, crunchy and juicy! I like to use the smaller Persian cucumbers because their skin is thin and they’re easily sliced lengthwise to produce a seedless slice (no need to peel and seed them).
This can be served as an appetizer by layering the ingredients, allowing you to enjoy their individual flavors, colors and textures.
Or, if you’re serving it as a family style salad, just toss diced watermelon, cucumbers, olives and mint together and arrange on a platter; add the sheep feta right before serving to keep the flavors and textures fresh. A drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil enhances the absorption of lycopene and the balsamic glaze adds tartness.
Ingredients:
- 1 2-pound seedless baby watermelon, cut in half; reserve one half for other use.
- For appetizer, slice one half into ¼ inch slices, then cut into 2 inch squares;
- For salad, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 2-3 Persian Cucumbers, cut into thin squares or cubes
- Sheep feta cheese, cut into ¼ inch by 2 inch squares
- ½ cup mint leaves, plus a few pretty sprigs for garnish
- ½ cup oil-cured black olives or Kalamata olives, pitted
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of balsamic glaze (concentrated balsamic vinegar)
Instructions:
Gather and prep all ingredients. If serving as an appetizer, place watermelon slices on a platter, and slip mint leaves between cucumbers and feta slices then top with another watermelon slice. Put a fresh mint sprig on top and secure the stack with a pick.
If serving as a salad, arrange the watermelon and cucumber cubes on a platter, scattering the mint and olives evenly. Right before serving, tuck slices of sheep feta around the platter and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic glaze. Enjoy!
Sally LaMont, ND, LAc