Yotam says, ‘This you must eat on the beach or at least outdoors, on a hot day, with the sun’s rays unobstructed. It reminds me of hot sweaty nights on the seafront in Tel Aviv, when everyone is out enjoying themselves with loud music and often a heated conversation. (So, Tel Aviv not so different from Sydney after all?) The sweet juiciness of the watermelon and the crumbly saltiness of the feta give this salad its character.’
Fresh from the garden: watermelon, red onion
Recipe source: adapted from a recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi in Plenty
Serves: 4 or 24 tastes
| Equipment:
· Chopping boards & knives · A selection of mixing bowls · Wooden spoon · Paper towel · Salad spinner · Scales · Serving bowls |
Ingredients:
· Half a watermelon (ideally 700g without rind) · Half a pomegranate · A small red onion · 150g feta · A handful of basil leaves · Olive oil |
What to do:
- Wash the outside of the watermelon and then carefully cut into 1-2cm slices – you may need to ask a grown up to help. Cut off the peel and then slice each bit into bite-sized triangles. Reserve in a large bowl.
- Remove the seeds from the pomegranate: hold one half over a bowl and smash it with a wooden spoon from the outside. This will capture the juice and seeds for the salad, and add all of it to the watermelon.
- Cut the onion in half through the root and top and peel it. Then slice it as thin as you possibly can and separate into thin rings. Add it to the salad.
- Wash and spin-dry the basil leaves, then pick from the stalks and tear up into tiny pieces into the salad.
- Using the scales, weigh the feta and then crumble into chunks over the salad with your hands.
- Divide the salad into your serving bowls, drizzle over a thin trickle of olive oil and a grind of pepper and then serve.
Notes: What is a pomegranate? What other savoury ingredients go well with fruit? Have you ever seen an orange watermelon before?
The Bondi Cook 