Watermelon Gazpacho

For the past few years I have gone on a summertime gazpacho kick.  What tends to happen is that Alex and I make at least 2 batches of gazpacho (some more traditional than others) over the course of the summer and I find it hard to resist gazpacho when it makes its way onto the menu at some of my favorite restaurants.  This summer I have expanded into trying the various take-out gazpacho offerings from my favorite soup and lunch places.  For the record, this summer I have been particularly into the Andalusian gazpacho from Zabar's (which I think is better than their traditional gazpacho).  I'm not exactly sure why, but I have been fixated on the idea of watermelon gazpacho since last summer.  I can't remember ever trying watermelon gazpacho but it sounded delicious, refreshing and oh-so summery.  I looked at a number of different watermelon gazpacho recipes and this recipe from CHOW seemed like a good starting point.  I meant to play with it a little more, but we ended up making it almost exactly as written.  I wish I had played with it a little more because there are a few changes I think I would have made.  I would have cut down on the amount of garlic, used shallot instead of onion and maybe cut down on the amount of vinegar.  Of course it's easy to say that I would have made those changes after the fact, because those are the same changes that I would make after having tasted the gazpacho.  I found the gazpacho slightly harsh and acidic.  I'm not really sure how to explain it, but it had a lingering aftertaste that I didn't find altogether too pleasant.  When I first tasted the gazpacho it didn't immediately strike me as harsh or acidic, but the more I ate, the more those flavors seemed to intensify.  We let our gazpacho hang out in the fridge overnight on the theory that the flavors could really meld that way and maybe that was the problem?  Maybe this is the type of soup you need to eat right then and there because given too much time the flavors overdevelop?  Who knows.  Either way, this wasn't our most successful gazpacho ever.  I am thinking that for our next gazpacho experiment we will make this Cucumber Gazpacho with Shrimp and Melon, which I considered (and discarded) for this batch because I decided I wanted a gazpacho that was more melon and less other stuff.

Recipe after the jump!

Thai-Style Radish and Watermelon Salad with Sizzling Ginger-Lemongrass Tofu

Clearly I am fickle because I just found my new favorite watermelon salad.  And I think I declared my previous favorite (Hugh Acheson's Watermelon-Feta-Arugula Salad with Serrano Chili Vinaigrette) about two weeks ago.  So it had a short but well-deserved reign.  Both watermelon salads have a wonderful balance of sweet, spicy and savory, but this one won by a nose.  I think it was the addition of the Thai basil and radishes.  I really liked the crunch and the slight peppery flavor of the radishes, as well as the peppery fragrance of the Thai basil.  And the fish sauce.  I don't know.  It just works so well.  I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about the radishes with the watermelon, but it worked.  It's light and refreshing, but full of punch Asian flavors.  And Asian flavors beat feta cheese for me 9 times out of 10.  I really enjoy feta cheese but I love fish sauce.  After eating a fairly heavy meal at The Marrow last night (duck schnitzel, crispy kale with scallops and bone marrow with uni anyone?) and greasy Chinese at my desk for lunch, I really needed something light for dinner.  This salad couldn't have been more delicious.  Note to those who don't love spice - you're going to want to cut back on the amount of sambal oelek and chili or seed your chili prior to throwing it in.  Just like Hugh Acheson's recipe, there is some fairly serious kick to this dish.  Another note, if you're a Top Chef nerd like I am, it's kind of funny to compare recipes between Tom Colicchio and Hugh Acheson since they are both judges on the show and Hugh was a contestant on Top Chef Masters a few seasons ago.

We served the watermelon salad with sizzling ginger-lemongrass tofu.  We had a block of handmade firm tofu from The Bridge that I picked up at Fairway that I wanted to use and I wanted something different.  So we went with another recipe from Food & Wine that sounded like it would be a good pairing with the watermelon salad.  If you can find tofu from The Bridge in your local Whole Foods I would highly recommend it.  It had a really nice firm, but still creamy texture and it had more flavor than your average block of supermarket tofu.  It was really good.  I can't wait to try it in other dishes.  As for this dish, it was good.  I'm always surprised how much flavor a dish can pick up by just sizzling some aromatics.  And it did go very well with the watermelon salad.  I would totally make them together again in the future.

Recipes after the jump!

Watermelon-Feta-Arugula Salad with Serrano Chili Vinaigrette

I know I referenced this recipe weeks ago and promised to post about it.  And then I didn't.  This isn't going to be the longest post ever but I know myself and if I don't get something up about it now it's not going to happen.  So here goes.  This recipe was the first recipe we made from Hugh Achesons' cookbook and I loved it.  The serrano chili vinaigrette is not shy - it's spicy.  But it works really nicely with the sweet watermelon.  If you don't like spice, you should cut the number of chilis in half (or seed some of the chilis).  We like spice so we went whole hog, but I think it would be a little too spicy for a lot of people.  Anyway, I know we have made a number of watermelon salads on this blog (I have a thing for watermelon salad), but this might have been my favorite one ever.  It had a perfect balance of salty, sweet and spice.  Sometimes the cheese can throw off the sweetness and freshness of the watermelon (particularly if your watermelon isn't very sweet), but this salad retained all of the fresh and bright flavors that I love and added some kick.  We did cut back on the amount of cheese slightly, but that was due to the fact that we ran out (not because I made the strategic decision to do so).  I thought the amount of feta was fine as we made it so I will probably continue to use a little less cheese than the amount the recipe calls for in future watermelon salads.  But if you want a fun and funky take on a classic summertime treat, make this salad.  If your tastes are at all similar to mine, you will love it.

Recipe after the jump!

Watermelon, Green Onion and Mint Salad

While I ate this salad the only thing that came to mind was that this is the most savory watermelon salad we have ever made. And that's not a complaint - it's merely a statement of fact. I know I have proclaimed other watermelon salads as being very savory (like this Watermelon, Cucumber and Feta Salad), but this one took the cake.  With all of the herbs and the jalapeno this watermelon salad was just incredibly savory.  And it's a little surprising considering that this watermelon salad contained no cheese (which I tend to find inherently savory).  I really expected it to be a little sweeter and less savory.  I guess I was wrong.  Part of the "blame" for the level of savoryness might fall on the watermelon itself because it wasn't the absolute sweetest watermelon we have ever purchased, but I really think it was the combination of jalapenos, scallions, mint and parsley.  And beyond the combination of those ingredients, it was the proportions of those herbs and peppers - if you just look at the picture you can tell that the watermelon was liberally coated in herbs and stuff.  We served the salad as a side dish with Mario Batali's Leo Maya's Chicken with Green Sauce.  It made for a very bright and summery meal.

Recipe after the jump!


Watermelon, Green Onion and Mint Salad

Bon Appetit

July 2003

INGREDIENTS:

5 cups 3/4- to 1-inch cubes seeded watermelon

1 cup chopped green onions

3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped seeded deveined jalapeño chiles

1/4 cup olive oil (we only used 2-3 tbsp at most)

2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar

Combine watermelon, green onions, mint, parsley, and chiles in large bowl.

Whisk oil and vinegar in small bowl to blend. Pour dressing over watermelon mixture; toss to coat. Season salad generously with salt and pepper.

Four-Spice Salmon with Refreshing Watermelon and Heirloom Tomato Salad

I would say that this dish came about pretty randomly.  As far as I am concerned, the two components were never meant to go together.  Sometimes our meals are planned from beginning to end - I know that I want to serve a main course and I come up with a side dish to compliment it (or vice versa).  This meal was two completely separate dishes that I threw together into one meal just because it was all we had in the fridge.  And the ingredients weren't so crazy that we couldn't combine them.  So we did.  And it worked out ok.  The flavors didn't exactly compliment each other, but they weren't completely at war with each other either.

Alex thought that the salmon was ok, but a little dry.  Spice rub seared onto the surface of fish always reminds me of blackening seasoning on catfish and redfish.  The spices dry out and get a little charred.  I thought that the flavors of the spice rub that went on top of the salmon were pretty nice.  Alex wanted more of the spice rub (or at least more powerful flavors from the spice rub).  I liked the flavors the way they were - subtle, but highly aromatic.  This wasn't my favorite salmon recipe, but I thought it was an interesting variation on our typical Salt and Pepper Salmon.  The watermelon salad was probably my favorite part of the meal.  I love watermelon salads and we have made several versions over the years.  But I have never combined watermelon with heirloom tomatoes.  I really liked the sweetness of the watermelon, the acidity of the tomatoes, the fresh mint flavor and the punch of saltiness from the feta.  The dish was just so summery and fresh and the flavors really work amazingly well together.  It was delicious.  Word to the wise - be careful when reducing the balsamic glaze, otherwise you end up with a really thick sticky mess that is less of a glaze and more of a molasses-like taffy substance.  Even with the balsamic candy/taffy instead of a glaze, I thought the salad was fabulous.  As a side note, in case you are confused by the pictures we used yellow watermelon and a red heirloom tomato.  Pretty, no?

Recipes after the jump!

Grilled Halloumi with Watermelon and Basil-Mint Oil

One of the best things about cooking is when it surprises and interests you.  You come across a recipe, you decide to give it a shot and you are wowed.  Sometimes it's a good wow, sometimes it's a bad wow.  But it always teaches you something.  This recipe for instance - the combination of halloumi cheese plus watermelon, tomatoes, mint and basil could either go really right or really wrong.  But somehow it all works.  We have combined salty cheese and watermelon before, so I know that combination works.  But adding in tomatoes?  And drizzling them with basil and mint infused evoo?  It's all a little weird.  But like I said, it works.  It's surprising, interesting, and it works.  I've said that about ten times, but it does.  I'm just not sure what else to say.  Alex said the dish would have been better if the cheese had stayed warm (it cools and hardens until it has a consistency similar to cheese curds) and the watermelon had stayed cool.  I get what he means.  The salad would be a little more striking with the contrast in temperatures.  But it still wouldn't be my favorite watermelon salad.  Because the salad has hot cheese and tomatoes it's nowhere near as refreshing as this Watermelon, Cucumber and Feta Salad.  And when I want a watermelon salad I want something light, fresh and delicious. This is delicious.  And interesting.  But it loses points when it comes to being light and fresh.

Recipe after the jump!

Watermelon Popsicles

At the beginning of the summer I bought a popsicle mold at Bed Bath and Beyond with the belief that I would make popsicles all summer long.  And then the popsicle mold ended up in the back of the cabinet and was forgotten.  I unearthed it this weekend and decided I no longer had any excuse for not making popsicles.  Originally I was trying to make the watermelon-kaffir lime juice from Fatty Crab in popsicle form, but I wasn't sure how I wanted to deal with the kaffir lime.  I thought about making a kaffir lime simple syrup, but decided that was too much trouble.  So I decided to blend up some of the watermelon I had cubed in the fridge with some lime juice (and zest), a little sugar, and some herbs.  Luckily after our Asian cooking extravaganza this weekend we had fresh mint, fresh basil, fresh Thai basil, and fresh cilantro in the fridge.  I couldn't decide between watermelon-mint and watermelon-basil (in honor of the watermelon-basil margaritas at Cascabel) popsicles, so in the end I decided to throw both in there and see what happened.

I really liked these popsicles, although there was a slight execution problem in that all of the lime juice ended up settling in the bottom of the molds (i.e. the top of the popsicles themselves).  But I loved the combination of the watermelon, mint, basil and lime.  It was seriously refreshing.  As a side note, these popsicles might just have been my dog's favorite treat ever.  He loves both watermelon and ice cubes, so he was downright slobbering over our watermelon popsicles!

Recipe after the jump!

Watermelon, Cucumber, and Feta Salad

 
After a weekend of gorging myself, the only thing I really wanted for dinner was salad.  But I didn't want any old salad.  I wanted a salad that was more than just boring lettuce, tomatoes, onions and dressing.  What can I say?  I'm a salad snob.   I love the idea of salad, but I find that they are often very disappointingly mundane and are rarely filling.  The salads I tend to like have unique combinations of ingredients, either with or without protein, and more substance to them than your average side salad.

I have made (and eaten) several different kinds of watermelon salads, including this Watermelon, Feta and Arugula Salad.  This one might be my favorite.  I really liked the combination of the citrus dressing and fresh mint with the watermelon, feta, onion and cucumbers.  Perhaps because the salad was more savory than sweet, I just found it to be more interesting and more filling.  Between Alex and I we finished off an entire large mixing bowl of the salad, which would have been harder to do with a sweeter watermelon salad.  But with this salad, every bite was completely different than every other bite because of the distinct tastes of each ingredient.  In each bite you have the sweetness of the watermelon, the saltiness of the feta, the bitterness of the arugula, the bite of the red onion, and the freshness of the cucumbers.  This salad was exactly what I needed after a weekend of gorging on everything in sight.

Recipes after the jump!

Watermelon, Feta, and Arugula Salad

 

After gorging myself on meat earlier today, all I wanted for dinner was salad.  Lots and lots of salad.  So the first thing that came to mind was this watermelon and arugula salad that I have been meaning to make for weeks.  Watermelon is one of my favorite indulgences during the summer and there are various salads containing watermelon that I love to make/eat.  I can't wait until really nice heirloom tomatoes start overrunning the farmer's markets so I can make tomato-watermelon salad.  Other wonderful addition to watermelon salads are mint and and sweet onions.  I know that the combination of watermelon and onion sounds truly bizarre, but done properly it is delicious.  This watermelon, feta, and arugula salad is one of the simpler watermelon salads that I make, as there are only 5 ingredients - watermelon, feta, arugula, balsamic vinegar, and black pepper.  I know it sounds like a strange set of ingredients, but give it a shot.  I promise you won't be disappointed!

Recipe after the jump!