Watermelon, Feta and Mint Salad | Delish

If you can imagine Cape Town in late January and at 9 pm at night the wind has dropped and the temperature is still in the high 30’s. On a night like this, we were due to meet friends at what has become a favorite restaurant in the City. Society Bistro.

Being lucky enough to be sat outside under a starlit African sky but, to be honest, with the temperatures and humidity, the last thing you wanted was a heavy meal.

When the specials board arrived it was clear that the Chef had put a lot of thought into the dishes as they were all light and summery. Perfect for such a warm evening. Well done Chef! I have been making this dish for friends ever since as it is delicious.

Eating out in Cape Town

Cape Town has over the last few years has become South Africa’s food capital. Apart from a rich variety of local cuisine, the city offers flavors from every destination you can think of. The fusion of taste is masterful and very pleasant to savor. Can’t get enough of it.

Winemaking in the Western Cape of South Arica is an additional bonus.  There are so many wine farms to visit that you could spend every day for a month or so and not go to the same one twice. Many of the wineries have their own restaurants so for us its a match made in heaven. Rusten Vreede is a particular favorite and the cheese platters at Fairview.

Watermelon

Watermelon originated in Africa but has now become popular all around the world. Its always been a popular choice for us as its such a versatile ingredient to use in the kitchen. Watermelon Juice, Watermelon Jam (Ivan’s Favourite) and Watermelon Martini (my favorite).

There’s a definite art to picking the very best watermelons. It involves weighing the watermelon between your hands, turning it over, and giving it a firm thwap! on the underside. Why? A heavy watermelon with a splotch on its belly and a hollow sound means it is brimming with juice and at the peak of its ripeness.

Print Recipe

Watermelon, Feta and Mint Salad

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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By Marc Spendlove-Kruger – Serves: 4

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

A colorful and refreshing combination of mouth-watering watermelon and cucumber, crumbled feta and olives, with a simple chili, balsamic and olive oil dressing

Ingredients

• ½ a Watermelon de-skinned and shaped into bite-size cubes
• 1 good handful of fresh mint
• 1 250 g pack of feta cheese
• ½ a small chili
• 1 tbs of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• ½ tbs of Balsamic vinegar
• 1 pinch of sea salt
• 1 good grind of pepper to taste
• 1 handful of rocket per person.

Instructions

1

Instructions

2

Slice the Watermelon into half inch slices and then cube into half inch cubes. and place into a bowl.

3

Drain the feta cheese and cut into half-inch cubes and put to one side to allow any additional liquid to escape. Then add to the watermelon. In the meantime deseed the chili and chop very finely. Wash hands and the chopping board thoroughly after this task to avoid getting any of the juice on face or eyes by mistake. Add the chili to the Watermelon and Feta.

4

Tear the mint from the stalks and wash well in cold running water. The chop, but not too finely as you want the size and color to compliment the other ingredients.

5

Add the extra virgin olive oil and Balsamic vinegar and give the mixture a good, gently mix ensuring that the ingredients are spread evenly through the bowl.

6

On a serving, plate add a handful of Rocket and squeeze lemon or lime over to bring out the flavor. Place a good spoonful of the Watermelon mixture on top and serve. Your guests will love it.

Notes

This is an easy dish to make with very little fuss and can be prepared in advance of dinner. Every time we serve it a little bit of me hankers back to those hot balmy summer nights in the Cape.

Final Notes

This is an easy dish to make with very little fuss and can be prepared in advance of dinner. Every time we serve it a little bit of me hankers back to those hot balmy summer nights in the Cape.

Wine Matching

I love Chenin Blanc. It is one of the most underestimated wines that are in plentiful supply from the vineyards of the Western Cape. We chose an Arabella Chenin Blanc 2018 to accompany this dish. Its well priced and is available from Naked Wines.