I love summer, and what better time to try this salad and its great presentation? It makes for a nice, cool start to brunch or dinner, and the feta cheese and watermelon play nicely off one another.

Ingredients

Bypass the canteloupes and other treats such as those this little fellow at Paris’ Marché d’Aligre was exploring, and make your way to the watermelons, cucumbers, lemons and dill.

watermelon – one; ideally seedless

English cucumber – one half

feta cheese – 8 ounces (250 g)

fresh dill -1 tablespoon (15 ml.), finely chopped

lemon – for 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice

extra virgin olive oil – 1 tablespoon (15 ml)

Preparation

Wash all produce. Cut the cucumber in 1/4 inch (0.5 cm) cubes, and cut or break your feta cheese into similarly sized portions. Finely chop a tablespoon of dill, and combine these ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Roll your lemon a few times on the cutting board to stimulate juices, and then squeeze out one tablespoon to add to the vegetables and feta.

Set these salad ingredients in the fridge while you peel and cut your watermelon into squares. The recipe from which we originally worked called for 1.5 inch (3.5 cm) thick slices; I made ours larger.

Use a melon baller or whatever utensil you have handy to scoop out the inside of each watermelon cube; if you or your kitchen helpers ignore the temptation to enjoy the scooped portion while assembling, pop any excess in the refrigerator for later use.

Assembly and Presentation

You may wish to prepare the watermelon in advance, and store it in the refrigerator, separately from the balance of ingredients, until shortly before serving. Shortly before serving, fill each watermelon cube with the salad ingredients, and enjoy.

Linens: Pottery Barn