9.13.2010

Gorge yourself

Restraint Over Watermelon is one of the most demanding tenets of eating locally. I mean who can turn down airplane watermelon for eleven months of the year, and then not go a little overboard when the real deal arrives? Not me.

When the watermelon comes in, I devour it. I bought my first specimen at the Truro Ag Fair last Sunday, and I have since eaten four. Four! Granted, the nice thing about watermelons is that they are mostly water, and so the sick feeling you have after eating seven slices only lasts for about an hour or so, but still.

Last weekend, when my parents were here, we made one of the simplest, most delicious salads I've ever had. The only ingredients were yellow watermelon, fresh basil, burrata with gorgonzola dolce wrapped inside, olive oil, balsamic glaze, and a sprinkle of salt. We ate the whole bowl that night, and two nights later, with a second ball of cheese (burrata with herbed goat cheese this time), Alex and I made it again. We ate ourselves silly both times.

So quick—while the season lasts—gorge yourself as much as you can. It'll be a while until the melons roll around again.

WATERMELON, BURRATA, AND BASIL SALAD

This salad makes the best of late summer—it is best when the watermelon is cold, straight out of the fridge. It probably lasts a few days in the fridge, but we wouldn't know; it's never made it that long.

6 cups chilled watermelon
1 ball local burata or mozzarella
2/3 cup packed basil leaves
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
balsamic glaze, for drizzling
salt to taste

Cut the watermelon into cubes and use your fingers to gently remove any seeds. Put the fruit in a bowl and toss it with the cheese, basil, and olive oil. When serving, drizzle lightly with balsamic glaze and sprinkle with salt to taste.

5 comments :

Anonymous said...

Elspeth, your post went up on a day I just happened to get a beautiful watermelon from my CSA share, so I made this for dinner last night. Fabulous! I didn't have either of the cheeses you mentioned so used a very nice feta instead. I would never have guessed that balsamic glaze, salt, olive oil, and basil make the perfect accompaniment for watermelon. My husband and I became instant converts. Thank you!

We continue to enjoy reading your blog. ~A Maine Reader

Elspeth said...

To my Maine Reader:

I'm so glad you enjoyed the salad. I think it's so much fun to come up with new combinations based on what's available and in season at the moment. We have a lot of basil in our garden right now, and plenty of watermelon, too, and they turned out to compliment each other just right.

Enjoy!

All the best,
Elspeth

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