Watermelon and Tomato Salad

Watermelon and Tomato Salad

How did it get to be October already? And me with a backlog of summer recipes! Luckily, heirloom tomatoes are still beautiful and all over the greenmarket and watermelon is in abundance at Fairway.


When I was a kid, watermelon (and cucumbers) were the only two foods I refused to eat. Their high water content diluted the flavor so much as to make it unpalatable to me. Lately, though, I've found that, when it's terribly hot out, I crave these watery fruits. Probably my body seeking to rehydrate itself as much as possible.


But, because I have a low tolerance to sweet, I needed to add something salty to the watermelon and tomatoes. Mark Bittman recommends goat cheese, but I was more interested in feta, as suggested by Josh in his Heirloom Tomato and Watermelon Salad. Some basil (from the plant that's still growing nicely on our terrace!), a sprinkling of sea salt and a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and we had ourselves a delicious salad. Enjoy!


Watermelon and Tomato Salad
adapted from How to Cook Everything and The Food Section

• 3 heirloom tomatoes, assorted varieties, cored and thickly sliced
• 1/4 watermelon, seeded, peeled and sliced as thickly (or thinly) as tomatoes
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground
• 4 ounces feta, crumbled
• 8 leaves basil
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

On a large platter, lay down first a tomato slice, then a watermelon slice, overlapping slightly, until all used. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and feta. Crumble basil leaves on top and drizzle with olive oil. Serve immediately.

Salad, Corn and Shrimp

Make It a Meal: Keep the summer theme going by serving the salad with corn -- rather than just steaming it, try Roasted Corn with Parsley Butter. If serving a vegetarian, and since the oven's already on for the corn) finish out the meal with some Roasted Vegetables. If not, go for Salt Roasted Shrimp instead. And to drink? Riesling, especially if you can find a local one like Treleaven Riesling from the Finger Lakes. Bon appetit!

Leftovers: Unfortunately, this isn't a salad that saves very well, so eat it the night of, if at all possible. If not, mix leftovers with falafel (if you don't make your own, I highly recommend Trader Joe's frozen variety) to make a more substantial salad. Yum!

Links to other watermelon salad noshes:

• Watermelon Salad with Feta or Cotija from Simply Recipes
• Beautiful and Simple Watermelon Salad that Is Perfect for Summer Days from Junglefrog Cooking
• Watermelon Salad Thing from Lottie + Doof
• Minty Watermelon Salad from Never Enough Thyme
• Tomato and Watermelon Salad with Feta Cheese from Steamy Kitchen

Filet de boeuf au Livarot

The boy went to China (among other places) and left me without his digital camera and with three wheels of cheese we brought back with us from Normandy. Grr. They all supposedly expire this weekend, so I decided I needed to find a way to use them up.

The Livarot was too strong (especially the rind) to eat straight, so I did a quick internet search and came up with a recipe of something like steak with Roquefort sauce, but with Livarot cheese instead. I played with the recipe and came up with my own, which was surpisingly yummy, even after the couple-day-old sauce was reheated for another dinner. If I made it again, I would add some more onions (or at least sharper ones). And feel free to add generous amounts of pepper.

Filet de boeuf au Livarot

(Adapted from 911 Chef Eric)

Makes enough sauce for six dishes (I poured it over my accompanying veggies as well).

Filets de boeuf (One per person)
Butter or olive oil
1/4 wheel Livarot, cut in chunks
1 Yellow Onion, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, chopped finely + 2 cloves per steak
1/4 cup Unsweetened Apple Juice
1/4 cup Water
20 cl Heavy Cream
Salt and Pepper
1 stalk Parsley/steak, chopped finely
A dash of Piment d'Espelette or Red Pepper Flakes, to taste

Melt enough butter in a pan to sear the steaks in it. Or, generously coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil. Mash two cloves of garlic per steak, then rub the garlic, salt and pepper over each side of each steak. Sear the steaks in a pan over high for 1 minute on each side (this leaves them red and bloody inside; cook for longer if you prefer). Remove the steaks from the pan, place them on a plate and place the plate in the oven to keep it warm. (Don't turn the oven on or else the steaks will continue cooking.)

Turn the heat down to low and gently cook the onion and the rest of the garlic, for about 6 minutes. Turn the heat back up to high and deglaze the pan with the water and apple juice, then reduce by half. Turn the heat back down to low and add the cream and cheese. Move everything around with a spatula, making sure the cheese is spread all over the pan and scraping up any remaining bits of steak or garlic that will add a nice layer to the sauce. Add piment d'Espelette to taste, as well as any salt or pepper you find necessary.

Pour the sauce over the steaks and toss the chopped parsley on top. I ate this with plain boiled turnips that I covered in sauce as well.

Update: I made a new variation!