Oh summer, please don’t go. You’ve been nothing but a tease, an irritating teenager, and a raging lunatic for the past two years, but I keep hoping for a reasonable turn. Is it too much to ask for blue sky, reasonable beach temperatures and low humidity on a regular basis?
But I must admit, even through the hotter-than-an-oven days and the rain and the indecision, I still love you more than winter.
While the weather in Sydney has been schizophrenic at best this summer, the fruit has been spectacular. The cherries and stone fruit and melons and figs are not only pretty but have fabulous personalities – and have been making a regular path through our kitchen.
This salad was a random stroke of genius one morning a month or so ago – and a regular visitor with a multitude of variations ever since. If only my freezer was large enough to hold a few buckets of watermelon cubes I’d be set for the whole year…
What will you miss most when summer moves officially into hibernation for another year – or for that matter, if you are currently crawling out of the Northern Hemisphere winter, what are you looking forward to once spring has sprung?
Watermelon & Cucumber Salad
Fresh, fresh, fresh this salad simply screams summer. I’ll miss summer… sigh.
Serves: 1 – multiply as required.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 c watermelon cubes
- 1 c chopped cucumber
- 4 radishes, quartered
- handful fresh mint, torn
- handful fresh coriander [cilantro], torn
- 1 package – approx 50 g – rice or mung bean vermicelli noodles, optional
To Serve:
- 1 Tbsp Tahini, Coconut & Lime Dressing
- Sriracha Roasted Chili Sauce
METHOD:
Pour boiling water over dry noodles if using, let sit until soft, about 6-8 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Combine all salad ingredients. Drizzle over dressing. Drizzle over Sriracha.
*COOK’S NOTES:
- Variations: try adding avocado or goat cheese too.
vegan // gluten free // dairy free // soy free // nut free // vegetarian
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Tahini, Coconut & Lime Dressing
A little bit sweet, a little bit smoky and a little bit sour, this dressing is the perfect accompaniment for summer salads, sandwiches and even fruit.
Serves: 6
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 Tbsp tahini
- 1 Tbsp coconut butter
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
METHOD:
Stir all ingredients together with a fork. Drizzle, spread or dip as desired.
Serving size 1 Tbsp of dressing.
*COOK’S NOTES:
- Make it yours: Start with the base recipe and add more of any of the ingredients to adjust it to suit your taste.
vegan // gluten free // dairy free // soy free // nut free // vegetarian
Oh this salad makes me crave summer! Can’t wait for watermelon season!
Wow, this salad looks and sounds great. Watermelon is my favourite fruit so any recipes that call for it, I’m all in 🙂 Looks beautiful! The colours are really grabbing my attention.
Oh, this makes me so excited for the fact that winter will soon be ending here in Canada. I can’t take much more of snow and thermal underwear. I need summer fruit!
I can’t wait to see the back of summer. I am more an autumn/spring lover myself. Just finished our hottest summer on record, and hot days still forecast. So the salad will be ideal. It looks lovely and fresh. Just what is needed for those hot evenings.
Stunning salad JJ. It looks fabulous and I am sure it tastes as good. Lovely and refreshing.
Yum – now that is my kind of salad. It will keep that tastes buds on there toes! So over this rainy weather up here in QLD!
The ease of creating something magical like this in but minutes! Have never enjoyed a dressing quite on par 🙂 ! Schizophrenic summer: tell me about it on the Southern Highlands and am glad the Bureau tells us it is autumn 😀 !
I’m so reluctant to let summer go too! Although I love autumn summer produce is so glorious 😀
So sad to think that summer and its delicious fruits are over 🙁 This is such a pretty looking salad and the flavours look so vibrant.. yum 🙂
How vibrant and love the flavour combination, definitely a summer salad. I won’t miss summer at all, I am a spring and autumn girl at heart.
Loving your take on the watermelon salad JJ! And that dressing sounds divine! (and healthy too!)
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A lovely recipe. Thank you and have a wonderful day!
Sounds and looks wonderful – thanks very much.