Watermelon and Heirloom Tomatoes Salad

Watermelon and heirloom tomato salad, a photo by Ayala Moriel on Flickr.

Thanks to Alyssa Harad's inspiration, I've been enjoying this salad repeatedly this summer. Also one of those salads that holds shape; therefore making it a perfect picnic food that won't wilt by the time you hit the beach!

This salad is so easy to make it's almost ridiculous - but the results are mind-blowing spectacular. It will make an impressive appetizer or salad course.

To make it you will need very few and simply ingredients. It's a great example for a recipe where the result is far greater than the sum of its parts. If you are already a lover of the classic Balkan & Mediterannean combination of salty feta cheese and sweet-juicy watermelon, the rest will come natural to you. Unlike most of my salads, this calls for no acidic component (lemon, lime or vinegar). There is enough juiciness coming from the watermelon and split tomatoes. And plenty of complementary flavour from the feta and olive oil. Make sure you use the best ingredients for truly stunning results!

1/4 ripe yet firm watermelon
4 ripe heirloom tomatoes, of varying shapes and colours
2 scallions, or 1/4 onion (sweet or red Spanish - depending on how spicy you want your salad to be!), thinly sliced
150-200gr diced Macedonian feta cheese (or look for another kind that is creamy and full of flavour - you don't want it to be too dry in texture)
Black Nicoise olives
Handful of hand-torn basil leaves
2 Tbs top-quality olive oil (unfortunate, most of the Italian olive oil that comes to Canada is poor quality; try to find olive oil from Greece or Lebanon as it has much more body and the desired olive fruit flavour)

Cut the watermelon into large cubes or small wedges. Quarter the tomatoes. toss with the sliced onions and torn basil. Top with olives and diced feta cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and toss just before you serve into each diner's plate.