I absolutely love the sweet, fresh flavours of summer. Our family are watermelon addicts and we pretty much always have one on the go in the summer months when they are in season. So in celebration of the second official (smokin’ hot) day of summer, I thought I’d share a recipe with you. This is one of my favourite simple summer salads.

This salad is super fast, easy, and pleases even our son who tends to turn his nose up at the sign of anything too “mixed” or “with green stuff in it.” I think it’s the juxtaposition of the salty feta, the savoury basil and the sweet watermelon that makes it such a pleasant surprise to the palette.

Here’s what you need:

1 medium watermelon cut into 1″ cubes
1 container of firm feta (packed in rind – about 200g – more if you really love feta) cut into 1/4″ cubes
A big handful of basil leaves (maybe 1/4 cup when they’re pressed together), washed and cut into chiffonade (long, thin strips)
1 lemon, juiced
1 tbsp of my favourite mustard – Sable & Rosenfeld’s Tipsy Dijon (this amazing mustard is spiked with ale!)
2 or more tbsp of really good extra virgin olive oil
A generous pinch of salt (I use Maldon as the light flakes are just perfect for salad dressings)
Pepper to taste

Mix together the lemon juice, mustard, olive oil, salt + pepper until well combined. In a large serving bowl, combine the watermelon, feta and basil and gently drizzle half of the dressing over the salad. Toss and taste. Sometimes I stop there depending on how tart the lemon was and how much watermelon I’ve got. Sometimes I use it all. Just depends on my my mood and how the flavours are combining that day.

We love this salad along with a light and refreshing glass of Sparkling Pinot Grigio like this one from Barefoot Wines. It is remarkably reasonable at $12 a bottle and has that perfectly crisp, minerally refreshing taste that pairs beautifully with this kind of dish. I’m a champagne girl for sure, but this one fits the proverbial beer budget quite nicely, thank you very much!

s.