Party Like A Pro: Watermelon Tomato Salad

Mmm hipster watermelon

And we're back. Apologies if you were disappointed with the complete lack of posts, things just got crazy busy. I continued to cook, Jordan kept snapping pictures, I just never got around to writing about it. So I've got a bunch of images and posts waiting to be written. Then I kept procrastinating because I didn't know where to start, finally found this recipe and it was the clear choice. Great story, right? Anyway, here we go, back on the horse!

I've always been intrigued by the idea of watermelon in a salad, but strangely had never had it. I was looking for a quick meal to make one Saturday afternoon and found this recipe on epicurious. I tweaked it of course,  the end result is a great summer salad that isn't potato salad. Note: I don't like potato salad, it almost always has too much mayonnaise and after the bacon incident I have absolutely no interest in eating it in the future, sorry Jordan. 

This is a great recipe to bring to a summer bbq as it is great on a hot summer day. I would avoid prepping the tomatoes and watermelon until about an hour or so before you plan on serving it, as they produce quite a bit of liquid and water down the dressing. You can prepare the dressing and chop everything else the night before if you want to save time, and also it allows the salad to get really cold.  

Watermelon Tomato Salad

• 1 lbs plum tomatoes
• 2.5 cups watermelon, diced into 1/3 inch cubes
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes
  (You could skip if you are feeling lazy)
• 1 large yellow bell pepper, diced into 1/3 cubes
• 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced into 1/3 inch cubes
• 6 oz fat free feta, either pre-crumbled or diced into small cubes
• 1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, loosely chopped
• 2 green onions, diced
• 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup fat free greek yogurt
• 1 tsp dried oregano (or 2 tsp of fresh)
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds with a spoon and discard, so all you're left with is the flesh of the tomato. Dice the tomatoes.
2. Combine tomatoes, watermelon, radishes, bell pepper, cucumber and 1/2 of the feta, green onions, and mint into a large strainer. Place the strainer in a large bowl and refrigerate while you prep the dressing.
3. Combine yogurt, olive oil, oregano, and what is left of the mint and green onions in a blender or food processor. Pulse until just combined, you want to still see the mint and have some texture from the feta. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. In a large bowl, fold the yogurt mixture into the diced vegetables and fruit. Allow to sit about 10 minutes, preferably in the refrigerator. Serve cold.

You can by all means skip straining, but sometimes the melon/tomatoes can water down the yogurt mixture. If you are like me and sometimes cringe at the thought of buying fresh herbs when you should be growing them on your own, I was actually able to get my store bought mint to root. I know, I'm savvy. Instructions for your own enjoyment can be found here!  It boils down to putting it in a glass with water and letting it sit in the sun for a few days, so yes, you can do it too.

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