My Trip to Greece
It has only been two days since I returned from Greece. Every time I visit, the time goes by so fast that I have to remind myself to plan for a longer stay next time! My friends and my relatives invited us to their houses and treated us to long, unhurried and memorable meals. We even spent some time with a good friend and her family at their summer house on a beautiful Greek island. Once again, I realized that this incredible hospitality I experienced is so deeply embedded in the culture and way of life in Greece.
Watermelon and Feta Salad
I had this delicious watermelon and Feta salad in Greece recently. This salad is a classic combination of sweet and salty flavors. The sweetness of the cold and juicy watermelon pairs perfectly with the creamy and salty Feta cheese. The addition of fresh mint and a bright lemon vinaigrette enhances the flavors even more and makes for a very refreshing summer dish.
While the ingredient list for this recipe is rather short, the quality of the ingredients is very important. The watermelon has to be fully ripe, sweet and juicy and the Feta should be made with sheep’s milk. The dry, crumbled Feta that is readily available in most places outside of Greece will not produce the same results, because it is made with cow’s milk and does not have the characteristic, sharp flavor of the real Greek Feta cheese. If you have the time, you can also use a melon baller to cut the watermelon instead of using a knife to make small cubes. Either way, this salad is a real crowd pleaser!
Here is a short video tutorial I posted on Instagram that shows a fun way to cut a watermelon:
- 2 lbs. ripe, seedless watermelon, without the rind
- 1 TBSP. lemon zest
- 1 TBSP. lemon juice
- 3 TBSP. best quality olive oil
- --- pinch of sea salt
- 3 TBSP. fresh, young mint leaves, minced
- ¾ cup of Greek Feta cheese, crumbled or cubed
- 1 small cucumber, sliced, optional
- --- olives, sliced, optional
- --- red onion, sliced, optional
- Cut the watermelon into cubes and place in a bowl. Zest a lemon set aside the zest. To the bowl with the watermelon add lemon juice, a little of the zest and the olive oil. If you wish, add some cucumber slices, olives or sliced red onion. Toss gently everything until well combined. Season the salad lightly with salt making sure not to add too much salt because the Feta is salty.
- Crumble the Feta cheese over the top of the watermelon. Sprinkle with the remaining lemon zest and serve immediately.
Looks delicious, Marilena! I’m going to make this for friends next week! 🙂
Thank you for my first 5 stars too!
Live the video on how to cut a watermelon! (Sometimes the stars don’t work well on my phone. Trying to give you 5 but only 2 are registering.)
Thank you so much Cindy. It is a very simple recipe, just find a sweet watermelon and some good Feta!