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Enjoy the coolness of 'Midsummer Greens and Watermelon Salad'
By Lynne Rossetto Kasper Scripps Howard News Service
Dear Lynne: Watermelon salad is our most favorite restaurant starter, but I would like to have one for a main dish. We would sure appreciate a recipe. _ Cooling Down in Memphis
Dear Cooling Down: We keep doing variations on this recipe because it always seems ideal about this time in the summer.
MIDSUMMER GREENS AND WATERMELON SALAD WITH FRESH CHEESE AND HONEYLIME DRESSING
Serves 4 and divides or multiplies easily.
Dressing (keeps a week in
the refrigerator):
2/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/3 cup honey, or to taste
1/2 to 2/3 cup extra-virgin
olive oil
4 squirts Tabasco sauce
Salt and freshly ground black
pepper to taste
Salad:
7 large handfuls tart and
mild salad greens, or two 5-
ounce bags organic mixed
greens, washed and
thoroughly dried
1/2 loosely packed cup fresh
basil leaves, torn
1 heaping teaspoon fresh
thyme leaves
2 to 3 pounds chilled seedless
watermelon, peeled and cut
into 1-inch chunks
6 to 8 ounces fresh, creamy
goat cheese, sliced or
scooped into small chunks
4 ounces cooked smoked
ham, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
(optional)
2 small cucumbers, peeled,
seeded and cut into bite-size
chunks
1 medium sweet onion, such
as Vidalia, or Walla Walla,
thinly sliced into rings
1/3 cup roasted and salted
sunflower seeds.
Dressing: Put all the ingredients in a jar, seal the lid and shake until combined. Taste for more oil, salt and pepper. Set aside while assembling the salad.
Salad: Spread the greens on a big platter. Sprinkle with the herbs. Tuck the watermelon chunks, goat cheese, ham if using, and cucumber pieces into the greens. Scatter onion slices on top, then the sunflower seeds. Shake the dressing to combine, then zigzag it over the salad.
Serve immediately.
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