Watermelon, Cucumber and Feta Cheese Salad

LUCY BURDETTE: I am not a watermelon freak, and yet this recipe, spotted in Feasting at Home, drew me in. And in fact it turned out to be something where the whole tasted better than the parts. Good quality feta cheese is key though. I found mine at the farmer’s market in town and it’s both mild and not too salty. Of course you might prefer to make this in the summer when everything is fresh off the vine, but cukes and watermelon are not that hard to come by in any season these days.

 Ingredients

4 cups chopped watermelon
Three medium size cucumbers, quartered and chopped into the same size pieces
One small shallot, minced—it’s okay to skip this too!
Handful of chopped parsley
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped mint
Quarter cup olive oil
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
Sprinkling of salt and freshly ground pepper
Half cup good quality feta cheese cut into cubes 

Cube everything. Stir in the herbs, followed by the olive oil and vinegar and mix it gently together.

If you were a fastidious host, you might either make sure you bought seedless watermelon or seed the darn thing. I took a swipe at seeding and figured my guests--old friends--would not object to a few small white seeds. This is perfect salad to have during cucumber season. I also made it a second time for guests with kids and they loved it too!

Death on the Menu, the 8th Key West food critic mystery, is available now from Crooked Lane Books. You can order it wherever books are sold! A DEADLY FEAST will be out in May, but can be pre-ordered now on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Indiebound, or wherever you buy your books.

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