Summer Salad of Watermelon, Blueberries & Arugula with Mint

I love the fruits of summer.  Stone fruits, berries, melons and figs...there isn't enough time or enough meals in the day to get my fill.  Every time I go to the store this time of year, I come home with some kind of fruit that I just couldn't pass up.  This week we have had watermelon, cherries, grapes, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and peaches filling the fridge and the fruit bowl on the kitchen counter.  I eat a big bowl of fruit every morning for breakfast...and make desserts every chance I get...ice cream, tarts, pies, cakes, cobblers, compotes and crisps.  But even this isn't enough to use up all of the bounty.   More and more I am tucking these fruits of summer into refreshing and light salads—just right for lunch...or a nice addition to a summer dinner. 

 

Last week I taught a class at The Community Mercantile that included the delicious Watermelon and Avocado salad that I posted last summer.  The watermelon I purchased in the store for my class was so beautiful—juicy, sweet and "seedless"—that I got an extra one for myself.  We have of course enjoyed it in big fat slices, but I also took advantage of the fact that it was seedless to cut it into small cubes and pair it with blueberries in a salad.  The combination is visually stunning.  And it tastes pretty great, too.  

 

Watermelon & Blueberry Salad with Arugula & Mint

1 T. strained lime juice
1 t. red wine vinegar
1/2 t. honey
2 T. olive oil
salt & pepper, to taste

3 c. 1/2- to 2/3-inch cubes of seedless watermelon (see notes)
1 c. blueberries, well rinsed
3 oz. feta, broken into 1/2-inch pieces
1/3 to 1/2 c. thinly sliced cucumber (halve or quarter the cucumber lengthwise and scoop out the seeds before slicing)
1 1/2 oz. (2 small handfuls) arugula
1/2 c. mint leaves (measured by dropping into the cup—don't pack them down), left whole or cut in wide chiffonade if the leaves are very large

Make the vinaigrette:  Place the lime juice, red wine vinegar, honey, salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk to combine.  Add the olive oil in a thin stream, whisking constantly.  Taste and correct the seasoning.  Set aside.



Place the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and drizzle in the vinaigrette, using just enough to lightly coat all of the ingredients. Toss to combine.  Taste and correct the seasoning with salt & pepper.

Mound the salad onto a large platter (or individual serving plates) and serve.  Serves 4.

Notes:  

• You will need a total of 1 cup of fruit (diced watermelon and blueberries) per person.  I like the ratio of 3 parts watermelon to 1 part blueberries, but you should of course vary this to suit your tastes.
• The watermelon and feta should be in pieces that echo the size of your blueberries
• You may of course make this salad with a traditional watermelon with seeds, but you will need to remove the seeds...which is a bit of a tedious job.
• I used a small Persian cucumber from my farmers' market to make this salad but any cucumber will do nicely.

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