I promised you recipes for when it’s too hot to cook…have you liked them so far? What else would you like to see? What are you making in your own kitchen these days?
Today I want to share with you a version of a dish we serve at Zaytinya, karpouzi me feta—watermelon and feta salad. When you think of watermelon and feta, they are amazing together, the sweet, cold crunchiness of the watermelon with the salty, briny feta, combined with fresh mint and the lightest, slightly citrusy lemon dressing…there’s a reason why it’s been a perfect pairing in the Eastern Mediterranean for generations.
And of course, ripe summer watermelons are a thing of beauty. All across the Mediterranean they are found on breakfast tables and passed around after a big meal for a simple dessert. Greece is a major exporter of watermelons, with most coming from the Peloponnese, so it’s not surprising that in hot months, this sweet-and-savory salad can be found in taverns and restaurants across the region. Try using a mix of watermelons, if you can find yellow or orange seedless varieties at your farmers’ market.
At Zaytinya, we take this salad a step further and serve the watermelon in a compressed form. Have you ever had compressed watermelon? It’s a technique where the cut watermelon is vacuum-sealed, which presses and re-concentrates the juices in the watermelon. When it comes out, its texture and flavors are condensed, and it looks like a pink jewel. It’s really amazing to see…and of course to taste!
If you can’t get to Zaytinya to try the compressed version, here’s the recipe…if you try compressing it, let me know how it goes!
Zaytinya’s karpouzi me feta
Serves 4
1 small seedless watermelon (about 3 pounds), rind removed and cut into 1-inch cubes, or 4 cups pre-cut watermelon pieces'
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey, preferably Greek
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
6 pitted Kalamata olives, thinly sliced
8 mint leaves, thinly sliced
1 scallion, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 cup red watercress or baby arugula
1/2 cup crumbled feta
Flaky sea salt, for serving
Chill the watermelon in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes. Whisk the lemon juice, honey, and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large salad bowl until emulsified.
Add the watermelon, olives, mint, scallions, and watercress and toss well. Scatter the feta over the salad, drizzle with remaining olive oil, and season to taste with sea salt.
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