Watermelon Salad with Mint and Feta

Watermelon Salad with Mint and Feta One of the classic flavor combinations that we’ve learned to appreciate is sweet, salty and mint. This recipe really proves the rule by adding sweet watermelon, salty feta cheese and mint together. You can also add lemon zest to bring out the aromatic flavors in the watermelon. As with most salad condiments it’s preferable to crumble the feta over the top instead of tossing it together with the rest of the salad. It provides a much more interesting finished texture. Ingredients 3 pounds seedless watermelon (about 1 small), cut into 1-inch chunks 1 tablespoon lemon juice plus 4 (2-inch) strips zest, removed with a sharp vegetable peeler 3 tablespoons Olive Destination Persian Lime flavored Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus more for drizzling 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh mint leaves Up to 4 ounces arugula leaves (optional; see note) Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 ounces feta cheese (see note) Salt & Pepper to taste Directions Place watermelon chunks in a large bowl. Finely chop lemon zest. Add lemon juice and half of zest to bowl with watermelon. Add oil, mint, and arugula (if using) and toss until watermelon is evenly dressed. Put salad in a shallow bowl or a large plate and spread out evenly. Crumble feta over the top. Sprinkle with remaining lemon zest. Drizzle with more olive oil and a few grinds of black pepper. Serve immediately. To make this salad a meal you can add other chopped ingredients like fresh arugula leaves, cubed cucumbers, halved cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, or a few small slivers of black olive. Or how about some thinly sliced chili peppers for heat? Or grilled (and chilled) corn, along with some cilantro chopped together with the mint.