The "About" Watermelon Salad

Did you guess that this watermelon was yellow? Because if you did, you would be right. It is very juicy and indeed sweeter than the traditional red variety that I am used to having.

It is perfect served up in slices as an afternoon snack, but there was so much leftover that I decided to use it in a melon-basil-mint salad like they did at Chez Panisse this week.

I call this the "About" Watermelon Salad because I didn't really measure anything out (sometimes I get a bit lazy when I cook and I just approximate, especially if it means I have to wash one less thing, but I like to think of it as being efficient).

I chopped up about 1/3 of the watermelon into medium-size chunks. Be sure to chop up a little more than you need because it is hard not eat a few pieces here and there. And by "here and there" I mean at least 2 a minute. Does that sound like a lot?

Then I got together the remaining stuff that I would need for the dressing: about 1/4cup simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water, dissolved), juice from about half a lemon, and about 1/8 tsp. amaretto. Oh, yeah, it was time to break out that big bottle of DiSaronno. How does the commercial go? "DiSaronno: As You Like It"? I can't remember. At any rate, it was fun to use out a bottle from the back of the cabinet that doesn't see much action.

Okay, sorry. Back to the matter at hand. You're going to chop up about 4-5 basil leaves and about the same amount of mint. You can vary according to your personal tastes, however. Then blend the simple syrup, lemon juice, amaretto, basil and mint together in a blender or food processor.

Pour on the dressing; you don't want the watermelon to go naked, after all.

Once properly dressed, place in a pretty serving dish and enjoy! You can serve as a side or dessert. I had it with a simple shrimp and scallops dish, and I thought it complemented it well.

I give this dish 1 star out of 5 (0 being inedible) for its ability to keep as a leftover, so I recommend making it when you will be consuming it shortly thereafter.

You can also serve it up with some feta or salted ricotta. Whatever you like! I actually like it a little bit better without the cheese, but I've said it before, and I'll say it again: You can never go wrong with cheese. Just note that it won't keep as well with the cheese, so be sure to only add it to what you are going to eat.

Hope you are having a great weekend!