Sustainable eating requires eating foods that are in-season, grown locally. Tomatoes, watermelon and basil are plentiful now in New England, and hopefully where you live, too. I have to admit that the feta cheese I used for this did not come from a local farm. If you can source it locally, all the better. The combination of watermelon, tomato, basil and feta is amazing. You might find yourself pleasantly surprised, if it seems strange to you. When I first served this at a picnic the other evening, I forgot to put the dressing (balsamic vinegar and olive oil) on and it tasted great without it. You could try it both ways and see which you prefer.
3 large tomatoes (preferably heirloom), cut into bite-sized chunks
½ small seedless watermelon, cut into bite-sized chunks
2 handfuls fresh basil leaves, chopped
½ lb. crumbled feta cheese
3 TBS good-quality balsamic vinegar
6 TBS extra-virgin olive oil
Combine tomatoes, watermelon, and basil leaves. Mix balsamic vinegar and olive oil together and pour over all. Toss. If you expect entire salad to be eaten soon, sprinkle feta cheese over all and toss. Otherwise, sprinkle feta cheese generously over each individual serving. Serves 10-12. Make sure you get watermelon, tomato, basil and feta in each bite. The combination is fantastic!
