2016 Buy Local Cookout Recipe – Watermelon Salad with Feta, Thai Basil and Chile-Lime Vinaigrette

Chef: Alan Morgan, Whole Foods Market (Anne Arundel County)

Ingredients

Salad
1 whole watermelon
1 pound feta cheese, crumbled
2 bunches Thai basil, chiffonade
1 bunch pepper cress
½ cup pine nuts
1 cup olive oil

Vinaigrette
½ cup white balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 small shallot
1 garlic clove
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 serrano pepper
1 lime, juice and zested

Preparation

Heat oven to 350 degrees and toast pine nuts for 8–12 minutes, until golden brown, cool. Remove rind from watermelon and cut edges straight to create a square. Large dice watermelon into perfect cubes (reserve).

Vinaigrette
In a blender, add the shallot, garlic, vinegar, sugar, lime juice, salt, serrano pepper, and mustard, and blend until smooth. Slowly add in the oil until it thickens. Taste and adjust seasoning if need.

Place watermelon on a platter or in a bowl, crumble feta cheese over top, and top with basil, pepper cress, and pine nuts.

Producers Used in this Recipe

• Watermelon – B&K Farms LLC (Dorchester County)
• Thai Basil – Koinonia Farm (Baltimore County)

This recipe is featured on page 41 of the 2016 Buy Local Cookbook!