Thirsty from standing outside at a summer food festival in the scorching heat, I recently stumbled into a local juicery and pulled a beverage from the cooler that was designed for hydration.
Thirsty from standing outside at a summer food festival in the scorching heat, I recently stumbled into a local juicery and pulled a beverage from the cooler that was designed for hydration.
The pricey watermelon juice also contained Himalayan sea salt.
While sprinkling salt straight onto your watermelon might sound a bit unorthodox (or a reason to bump up the price point), in moderation salt triggers taste buds to salivate, and fruit seems sweeter.
Salty and sweet are actually a natural flavor pairing: Think of how salted caramel has taken off. Sounded weird at the start, but now we know better.
This refreshing summer salad uses feta to bring out the sweetness in the cool watermelon. The balsamic vinegar glaze, which you can buy or make, layers on another salty-sweet and rich component.
Healthwise, watermelon is 92 percent water. It also contains a fair amount of vitamins A and C.
Watermelon salad with cucumber, feta and mint
3 1/2 cups chilled, seedless watermelon cubes
1 medium English cucumber, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
2 to 3 tablespoons balsamic glaze
Scatter watermelon on a medium platter. Add cucumber and mint. Sprinkle with feta cheese. Drizzle with balsamic glaze; serve immediately.
Serves 4-6.
Per serving, based on 4: 82 calories (23 percent from fat), 2 g total fat (1 g saturated), 6 mg cholesterol, 13 g carbohydrates, 3 g protein, 82 mg sodium, 2 g dietary fiber.