Watermelon, Feta And Black Olive Salad - Farewell to Summer

I am going to miss summer's bounty!  I have been enjoying tons of fresh, local produce and although it is officially fall, I don't want to say goodbye just yet.  This week we received watermelon in our CSA box and I finally made Nigella Lawson's Watermelon, Feta and Black Olive Salad which I have vowed to make for quite a while. I was sure that I would love it since I am an olive and feta freak. Kalamata olives, imported Greek feta, watermelon and red onions from my CSA box and some fresh mint from the mint fairy at work combined with parsley, lime juice, olive oil and fresh black pepper - perfect combination! Some kind person leaves cups of fresh mint in the kitchen at my office - I am not sure who it is but I appreciate it!  WOW - this salad sure did not disappoint. It was just delicious - so refreshing and flavorful!

Happy fall everyone!  I am heading to CT to visit my baby.  I can't believe that I haven't seen her since August! 

Watermelon, Feta And Black Olive Salad

Courtesy of Nigella Lawson

Ingredients

1 small Red Onion

2 - 4 Lime depending on the juiciness

1½ kg sweet, ripe Watermelon

250 g Feta cheese

fresh Flat-leaf parsley

fresh Mint chopped

4 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

100 g pitted Black Olives

Black pepper

Method:   Peel and halve the red onion and cut into very fine half-moons and put in a small bowl to steep with the lime juice, to bring out the transparent pinkness in the onions and diminish their rasp.

Two limes’ worth should do it, but you can find the fruits disappointingly dried up and barren when you cut them in half, in which case add more.

Remove the rind and pips from the watermelon, and cut into approximately 4cm triangular chunks, if that makes sense (maths is not my strong point).

Cut the feta into similar sized pieces and put them both into a large, wide shallow bowl.

Tear off sprigs of parsley so that it is used like a salad leaf, rather than a garnish, and add to the bowl along with the chopped mint.

Tip the now glowingly puce onions, along with their pink juices over the salad in the bowl, add the oil and olives, then using your hands toss the salad very gently so that the feta and melon don’t lose their shape.

Add a good grinding of black pepper and taste to see whether the dressing needs more lime.