What makes some food taste refreshing? Well, the first thing, obviously, is that it’s served chilled. Though I have to say I’m not a big fan of eating ice cream to cool off — I find the fat in ice cream weighs me down and the sugar dehydrates me.
This brings up the second thing: The foods that are most refreshing are those with high water and low fat content. Vegetables and fruits, served cold and consumed raw are for me the most refreshing of summertime staples.
I was first introduced to the combination of watermelon, olive oil, black pepper and feta at Jean Georges restaurant in New York. When I ate there 10 years ago, the chef, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, was known for experimentalism in his cooking and his flavor combinations. I ate the dish as an amuse bouche, that little taste you get after your drinks arrive and before your first course. It was a stultifyingly humid day, and as I began my meal, the humidity broke and great sheets of rain poured down the huge glass windows that frame the restaurant.
I assumed the combination of watermelon and feta, a combination that cooled me down the second I tried it, was a brainstorm of the chef’s: I later discovered that it’s a classic Greek combination. I created my own version of the dish at Olivea. I make the dish with seedless watermelons and have added cucumbers to it, along with mint, a splash of red wine vinegar, and raw onions to brighten the dish, and a little roasted coriander seed to give the dish a depth of flavor.
Watermelon and Cucumber Salad
Serves 4-6.
Ingredients
2 cups 1-inch diced watermelon cubes, chilled
2 cups 1-inch diced cucumber cubes (peel scored with a peeler), chilled
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onions
8 leaves mint, rolled and cut into thin chiffonade strips
1/4 cup crumbled feta
2 teaspoon toasted coriander seeds, crushed
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions
Combine all ingredients. Serve cold.
