This pretty summer salad is actually a wonderful side for fried chicken, grilled fish, burgers, and bbq - in fact, we love it nestled against our Smoked Pork Butt http://www.edibleculture.net/blog/smoked-pork-butt and Fayetteville Hot Chicken http://www.edibleculture.net/blog/fayetteville-hot-chicken; but it also stands up all by itself as a light, vegetarian lunch salad.

But what is it about watermelon and feta that works so well? It has everything to do with the sodium from the feta and how it reacts with the sweetness of the melon; after all, most lovers of watermelon like it sprinkled with salt…a thirst quenched and activated simultaneously by these two seemingly opposing ingredients. We’ve also added thinly sliced radishes to this recipe to give it yet another level of peppery summer complexity.

Watermelon-Feta-Cucumber Salad

Serves: 4 to 6 | Prep: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1/2 small watermelon, cubed (6 cups)

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved (3 cups)

3 cucumbers, sliced (2 cups)

4 radishes, thinly sliced

8 oz. feta cheese, cubed

2 cups black cured olives, pitted

10 basil leaves, chiffonade

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Maldon flaked sea salt

Cracked black pepper

TECHNIQUE

Combine, mix all ingredients except lemon juice, salt and pepper. Just before serving, add final three ingredients and toss salad until well combined. Finish with pinch of salt and cracked pepper.