TWO SALADS YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY MAKE BEFORE SUMMER IS OVER
WATERMELON ROMANO PEPPER FETA SALAD & CHOPPED ORANGE AND FETA SALAD
Raw Romano peppers are a REVELATION!
I was on the island of Lipsi a few weeks ago (the guide is coming soon I promise). There was a watermelon salad I ate at one of my favourite beach restaurants which was genuinely one of the best things I have eaten this summer. I came home and immediately tried to recreate it. You can watch the video here. I think a large part of why this salad is so delicious is the uneven nature of it. The watermelon and feta are broken into the bowl with no piece the same size. It means some take on lots of dressing and are really punchy whilst others stay super fresh. It’s also served chilled which adds to the refreshing element but I think the thing that really made it was the raw Romano pepper.
I love Romano peppers but I’d never really had them raw until I ate this salad. They are DELICIOUS and they’ve since served as the inspiration for another really good salad with chopped orange, sesame and feta.
I made the watermelon salad on the side of BBQ last week and can confirm it goes very well alongside BBQd chicken and potatoes. The chopped orange and feta salad might be even better. I can’t decide which is my favourite but both are delicious and both taste even better the next day in my opinion. The chilli in the dressing really starts to sing with the fruit and all the flavours seem to deepen.
One more note: Both of these salads really benefit from being cold so try to chill them before enjoying if you can.
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THE RECIPES
WATERMELON FETA SALAD
I really recommend baby cucumbers for this if you can find them, they are much sweeter and less watery but if you can’t find them go for a regular one and just scoop out the seeds.
PS. someone commented that the salad looked wet and messy. All I can say is that is IS WET AND MESSY and it becomes wetter and messier the next day and this is one of the best things about it. The liquid is almost like a spicy watermelon gazpacho best enjoyed with a spoon in your pyjamas as I am eating here.
Serves 4-6
1kg watermelon
4 baby cucumbers or 1 large one, peeled
2 Romano peppers
1 red chilli
200g feta
1 tbsp dried oregano
2 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
Small bunch of basil, finely sliced
40g pumpkin seeds, toasted in a frying pan
3-4 tbsp moscatel vinegar or sherry vinegar
olive oil
salt
Remove the skin from the watermelon and break it into the bowl. Roughly chop the cucumber and add to the bowl
Halve and deseed the romano peppers then finely slice and add to the bowl. Finely slice the chilli and add to the bowl.
Break in the feta then add the oregano, capers, finely sliced basil and pumpkin seeds.
Add the vinegar and a good few sloshes of olive oil plus a pinch of salt. Toss and check for seasoning adding more oil, vinegar or salt as needed.
CHOPPED FETA ORANGE SALAD
Serves 2-4
3 oranges
2 romano peppers
1 red chilli, or half a scotch bonnet
1 head of radicchio or 2 heads of red chicory
handful roughly chopped mint leaves
200g feta,
1 tbsp dried oregano
40g pumpkin seeds, toasted in a frying pan
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
3-4 tbsp moscatel vinegar or sherry vinegar
olive oil
salt
Zest the oranges into a large bowl then cut away the skins and roughly chop the flesh.
Add the chopped orange to the bowl.
Halve and deseed the romano peppers then finely slice and add to the bowl. Finely slice the chilli and add to the bowl.
Break in the feta then add the mint, oregano, pumpkin and sesame seeds.
Add the vinegar and a good few sloshes of olive oil plus a pinch of salt.
Toss and check for seasoning adding more oil, vinegar or salt as needed.
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love these salads !!!!!!
xxx