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Clean white sand, lapping waves, a clear blue sky and an amazing watermelon salad. That was a Saturday morning on Long Beach with my friends Marie and Susan. Travel an hour outside of NYC on the train, and you’re at the beach! This really excited me. I lived in the city for a little over 8 years, yet my hour train rides only took me as far as Brooklyn, and never to the beach. Coney Island doesn’t count, I wouldn’t touch that water with a ten-foot pole, but Long Beach was different. We headed out to the beach with an intention: make a terrific salad and photograph it.
Susan is a professional photographer (she took ALL of these gorgeous photos!), Marie an expert on safe tanning (among other things), and you all know, I’m the cook. So with the promise of fun in the sun, and stunning photographs I created a stunner of a summer salad, Watermelon Peach Salad with Basil, Toasted Pumpkin Seeds and Lime Vinaigrette.
Why watermelon?
Watermelon is a very nutritious fruit. While satisfying your need for sweet, watermelon will cool you down, give you a boost of energy and pump your body full of free radical fighting antioxidants.
Due to my sincere love of watermelon, it is rare that I eat it with anything else.
So often I want only to experience the satiating crispness of biting into a red and juicy piece. I love my pineapple watermelon basil agua fresca, but I hardly ever make it because I love eating plain watermelon even better. So when Susan suggested I create a watermelon dish for our day at the beach, I wracked my brain, trying to come up with a recipe idea. Then, once I stopped worrying about it, it came to me. I had the perfect recipe that would highlight the texture of the watermelon and even enhance the flavor. The buttery soft texture of ripe peach along with the crunch of toasted seeds and tangy lime vinaigrette are brilliant supporting characters. Upon my first bite, I knew I had reached watermelon salad heaven! Quick, easy, inexpensive and incredibly delicious you must make this salad before the season is over!
Susan’s photos are so gorgeous, I find myself drooling all over again : )
Watermelon Peach Salad with Basil, Pumpkin Seeds and Lime Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 4 cups seedless watermelon, cubed
- 1 cup tomatoes, diced the same size as watermelon pieces
- 2 peaches, sliced 1/4 inch thick
- Lime Vinaigrette:
- juice of 2 limes
- 1 tsp coconut nectar, or agave
- dash sea salt
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- handful basil, whole or chiffonade
- 1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- Place the watermelon, peaches and tomatoes in a large mixing bowl.
- Make the lime vinaigrette by adding the ingredients, minus the olive oil to a blender or food processor. Blend, and slowly pour in the olive oil.
- Drizzle about 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette onto the salad, stir in basil and half of the pumpkin seeds. When serving, drizzle a bit more of the dressing onto the salad, and garnish with more seeds.
Do I really need to add that oil?
I can’t have any oils.
This was amazing! Made it for dinner alongside the succotash from your cookbook. What a great combination!
Awesome!! I’m glad you found it. I hope you enjoyed it 🙂
Awesome! I have been looking for a watermelon salad recipe.