Watermelon, Feta, and Mint Salad

This cool, refreshing dish screams summer

Looking for a light but lively dish to open your next dinner party? Melon is here to help.

Watermelon is at peak season in our part of the world. So we give it the starring role in this company-worthy first course.

What a cool way to start the evening.

Watermelon, Feta, and Arugula Salad

Fresh mint and red onion brighten this summertime starter

Summer is here in our part of the world, and that means watermelon. It’s wonderful morning, noon, or night.

It works in salads, too. Like this one – where watermelon combines with salty feta cheese and peppery arugula greens (not to mention fresh mint and red onion).

A watermelon starter that’s super tasty and easy to make? That says “summer” to us.

Easy Pickled Watermelon Rind

The Quickest Way to Make This Old-Time Favorite   

Pickled Watermelon Rind is a traditional dish, and a tasty one.  It’s a shame that so few people have sampled it — let alone tried to make it. 

Traditional recipes for this dish are time consuming (in fact, the whole process can take several days).  They also require canning procedures, which few people are equipped for these days.

But there’s a much quicker way to prepare Pickled Watermelon Rind, made popular by David Chang, of Momofuku restaurant fame.  His method takes only a few minutes of cooking time, and the rind will be ready to eat within hours.  This beats most of the traditional recipes by, well, days.  As an added bonus, his approach allows you to leave a bit of the red watermelon flesh on the rind (traditional preparation requires scrapping all of it off).

In most of the US, July is peak watermelon season.  The melons in the market now are the sweetest, the most luscious, and definitely the cheapest of the season.

So instead of throwing out the rind of your next watermelon, why not turn it into a delectable snack or side dish?