Watermelon and feta salad

I was struck, while in Turkey, by the ubiquity of watermelon. After a meal, a plate would be sent over to a table by the owners of the restaurant. In the markets and even the bazaar, you could see platters of it rushing by you, nice watermelon cut up into slices. heading to a particular vendor who needed a refreshment. This is true all over the Middle East, not just in Turkey. In my own family, my grandmother always took large juicy slices of watermelon to the beach for us, her grandchildren, to snack on.

But when we combine watermelon with a salty dairy product and add some herbs, magic happens.

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As Michael Solomonov notes in his cookbook, Zahav, this salad looks like it was designed in the twenty-first century, but the truth is that 1) the Ottomans were already very fond of watermelon, and 2) watermelon is still a most popular thirst and sweet quencher in Turkey and elsewhere. Pairing the sweetness of a ripe watermelon with the saltiness of a cheese like feta only brings out the goodness of both. I have also seen it with halloumi instead of feta and even with pieces of fried Indian paneer, so admittedly, these are not necessarily Sephardic preparations. One Sephardic location where we do find the recipe is in Bulgarian cookbooks where they are deservedly proud of their feta, called white cheese or, in Turkish, beyaz penir, or in Ladino, quezo blanco. Garnished with mint, it makes a show-stopping summer salad.

1 small watermelon, seeded and cut into cubes without the rind

½ c crumbled or cubed white cheese (feta, halloumi, or “paneer”)

Black olives

I small bunch of mint leaves, for garnish

Toasted nuts: pine, pistachio or walnut (optional)

Salt and pepper

Basil pesto (optional)

Method:

  1. Arrange the cubed watermelon on a platter and season with salt
  2. Artfully place the feta cubes or crumbled cheese around the watermelon and add the olives for color and taste.
  3. Distribute mint leaves so that they are spaced out nicely.
  4. If you have some pesto already in a jar, a  small spoonful or two will add a nice touch.

IMG_6355Notice below the magnificent redness of the watermelon served at this Sephardic meal in the home of Beki Behar.

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