It's summer and everything is fresh and delicious. I’ve decided I don't need to reinvent the wheel. We can eat what's good and enjoy the classics. If there's a fresh twist, all the better, but it's not strictly necessary. Fresh, delicious produce is plenty. Salt, lemons or limes, onions, vinegar, herbs, and cheese are enough to make dozens of vibrant summer salads.
Paid subscriptions allow me to keep doing this work focused on simple, everyday cooking and eating. I hope you find these recipes inspiring and useful. Paid subscribers get full access to my substack recipe archives and a new seasonal recipe delivered to their inbox each week. Please consider upgrading to a paid subscription. Thank you for reading!
This week, I'm shuffling ingredients into a watermelon and feta salad. I know the watermelon and feta thing is a little staid, but here, with zippy lime-pickled Anaheim peppers and shallots with lots of herbs, it takes on new life.
Watermelon Salad with Lime-Pickled Chilies and Shallots
If your watermelon is seedless, this salad can be ready in under 10 minutes. Serve it right away or let it chill for an hour in the fridge.
This watermelon salad needs a little salt to pop. If making ahead, wait to add the final salt until just before serving. If you have it, this is a great time to use a lightweight salt like kosher or sea salt so it doesn't penetrate the watermelon too quickly.
I served the salad with fresh basil, but cilantro or parsley would also be lovely.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Right Now to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.