WATERMELON & FETA SALAD

You might be wondering right now why I've gone and put a sweet fruit in a salad, and I don't blame you if you're not immediately appealed by the combination - I thought the same when someone first suggested that I tried it. But trust me with this one, the pairing of this sweet fruit, with the zesty dressing and the saltiness from the feta and olives, really works a treat! This recipe is perfect for when you've bought a whole melon and want to use it up before it goes all slimy and starts to ferment in the fridge. I owe most of the credit of this particular recipe to Nigella, whose recipe was the main inspiration, I just added a few additions and substitutes to make it my own.

Ingredients

• Watermelon, cut into chunks. (Quantity depends on how many people you're making for) I used about a third of a small watermelon for two.
• Bag of washed rocket leaves.
• Block of feta, cut into chunks similar sized as the melon (I used about half a block)
• Black olives.
• 1 red onion, cut into fine half moons.
• 1 lime, juice of.
• A few mint leaves.
• Balsamic vinegar.
• A pinch of sugar.
• Olive oil.
• Salt and black pepper.
• Chilli flakes.

Method

1. Put the finely sliced onion into a bowl and add the juice of the lime, a couple of tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, and a pinch of sugar, so that the onion is just about covered. Leave to soak until the onions look clear.
2. Put the rocket into a serving bowl, spoon the onions into the bowl whilst saving the lime and balsamic juice for dressing. Add the olives, salt and pepper, chilli flakes, melon and feta and gently toss the salad with your hands, trying not to crumble the feta too much.
3. Drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil, spoon over the rest of the sweet lime and balsamic dressing and add more black pepper. Garnish with the mint and a few more feta and watermelon chunks.

It really is that simple and tastes amazing. We reckoned it would go really well as a side with some chargrilled, Greek-style lamb. I used rocket leaves in place of the parsley in Nigella's recipe because I wanted a leaf with a bit more substance. I guess you could use watercress or peashoots as well. My additions were also the balsamic vinegar which I think makes a lovely dressing with the lime, and the chilli flakes for a bit of subtle heat.

If you want to sample the original, or want more precise measurements and quantities, you can find Nigella's brilliant recipe here.