Recipe of the Day: Watermelon Feta Salad

It is the chief of this world's luxuries, king by the grace of God over all the fruits of the earth. When one has tasted it, he knows what the angels eat. 

It was not a Southern watermelon that Eve took; we know it because she repented. 

- spoken by Pudd'nHead Wilson as written by Mark Twain

This salad recipe is one of my absolute favorites to serve at summer tea parties for three reasons:

1. It's a super time saver. There's no actual cooking involved. All you need is a knife, cutting board and one 2-3 inch cookie cutter in the shape of your choice. These salads are so easy to make. I usually cut them out early in the morning the day of a party and plate them directly onto the plates or bowls I plan to serve. Then I cover them in plastic wrap and refrigerate until 15 min before the guests arrive. (You could get away with prepping them the night before if you put them in tupperware with a paper towel underneath to absorb any extra water from the feta & melon overnight.) I then garnish each salad with a sprig of mint and have the plates already on the table when my guests appear. So simple!
2. It's a healthy novelty. This is a dish that few of my friends have tried before so it's both a new culinary experience for them and one they can indulge in without feeling guilty about wrecking their diets. Fresh fruit and cheese make it a light but satisfying summer dish with a surprisingly delicious flavor profile. Plus it makes my guests feel very spoiled, which I love.
3. It adds big, budget-friendly panache to your tablescape. One of my signature looks in a tea party table-setting is having at least one item on the table cut in a shape that coordinates with my party theme. It could be tea sandwiches, scones, cookies--even a gelatin. This dramatically increases the wow factor on the table without costing me any extra money or time than it took to prepare the dish. 

Watermelon Feta Salad
Ingredients:

•  4 slices of seedless, organic watermelon about 5 inches across and 1inch thick

• 1  7oz block of feta cheese (not crumbles) drained & patted dry, then cut into 4 half inch-thick slices  (Mt. Vikos is great, otherwise try your local grocery deli or specialty cheese section and approximate how much you'll need for the 4 slices.) **If you really don't care for feta, substitute fresh mozzarella or queso fresco for a milder, creamy flavor.**

• 2 tablespoons of red pepper flakes (Simply Organic has a a great product at a really good price for organic spices.) **If you don't like spicy, substitute 2 tablespoons of your favorite ground herb.** 

•  4 sprigs of mint to garnish (or substitute your favorite leafy herb: parsley, cilantro, thyme, dill, etc)

Assembly:
Lay a watermelon slice flat on the cutting board and using your 2-3 inch cookie cutter, position the cutter so you will be able to get 2 cut-out shapes from each watermelon slice and press down.

Remove the first cut-out carefully and then cut a 2nd identical shape from the remainder of the slice. Cut 2 shapes from each of the other watermelon slices, then set watermelon cut-outs aside and rinse both the cutting board & cookie cutter.

Place the feta cheese on the cutting board and use the same cookie cutter to cut one shape from each feta slice. Remove the shapes carefully as they are delicate and set aside.

Place the red pepper flakes on a small plate and gently dip or roll the edges of each feta cut-out in the flakes until well-coated.

On a salad plate or in a pretty bowl, place one watermelon cut-out, then top with one feta cheese cut-out (be sure to line up the edges so they match), and finally, top with a 2nd watermelon cut-out. 

Garnish with a sprig of mint to serve. Recipe makes 4 individual servings.  

Watermelon quote courtesy of twain quotes.com.