Summertime Recipe from our Chef!
August 15, 2007
Seared Watermelon and Feta
Watermelon is said to originate from the Kalahari Desert. There, the ancestral melon grows wild and is known as the Tsamma melon. Since its discovery, watermelon has traveled the world and is a popular fruit in every continent. “Watermelon” made its first appearance in an English dictionary in 1615. Since its introduction in China in the 10th century, it has been a staple. Today, China is the single largest producer of watermelon. There are many ways that watermelon can be eaten, from seared to inserting alcohol into the melon, and any way you slice it.
Watermelon is 92 percent water by weight, the highest percentage of any fruit. There are many different types of watermelon that can be eaten, such as yellow watermelon, orangeglo, moon and stars, cream of Saskatchewan and Melitopolski.
Not only is watermelon a fruit, it a symbol for many different cultures. The Dia de los Muertos in Mexico depicts watermelons being eaten by the dead, but in Vietnam the watermelon is used as part of the New Year because it is considered a lucky color. It is even the official state vegetable for Oklahoma, although many consider it a fruit.
So enjoy your watermelon any way that satisfies your quench for something delicious. Try our recipe for watermelon!
Ingredients- 1 Quarter of seedless watermelon
- 8 ounces of feta cheese
- 1 tablespoon of balsamic glaze
Preparation
- Peel Watermelon
- Cut 1” thick slices of watermelon
- Heat a non-stick pan and sear watermelon until caramelized on each side. About 1-2 minutes each side
- Place watermelon in a bowl and crumble the feta cheese over evenly
- Drizzle balsamic glaze evenly over watermelon and cheese
- Enjoy!
August 15, 2007 at 3:01 pm
Hello,
What an interesting recipe,sounds so good i’m going to try it.Having food language problems though.
We only have watermelon with seeds here,but I guess I must just cut them out.
Sear=? fry. Will it caramalize without adding sugar?
Only know Balsamico vinegar,or do you mean the thicker very expensive type used to artistically decorate the plates in Switzerland.
Diru
August 15, 2007 at 3:40 pm
Thank you for your response. Our Chef recommends:
With the watermelon with seeds, I would cut out the seeds or try to remove as many as you can.
Searing (or pan searing) is a technique used in grilling, roasting, braising, sautéing, etc. that cooks the surface of the food at high temperature so that a caramelized crust forms. You will not need to add any sugar, since the watermelon has natural sugars.
Here is a recipe to make balsamic glaze.
2 cups balsamic vinegar or port wine
Heat the vinegar in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until steam rises from the liquid. Place the saucepan on a heat diffuser and let the liquid reduce very slowly (it shouldn’t simmer) for 2 to 3 hours, until it has reduced and thickened to a syrupy glaze. There should be approximately 1/2 cup of balsamic glaze or 1/4 cup of port glaze.
Keep the glaze in a squeeze bottle at room temperature for garnishing plates; if the glaze is too thick, warm the bottle in hot water to loosen the glaze.
Happy Cooking
September 25, 2007 at 6:05 pm
Mick – Loved your presentation at Rotary today. I wanted to introduce myself but you left so quickly. I am Jackie Glasheen’s sister and a good friend of Tom Glasheen.
The salad was fabulous. I want to make it. May I have the recipe? Also, the Mt Tom Rub – what is in that?
Maureen