Fig and Watermelon Salad

This time of year my neighbor’s tree is bursting with ripe, sweet, delicious figs so I’m always looking for ways to incorporate them into my meals.  Unfortunately neither Eammon nor Maisie care for the figs so “poor little me” is left to eat them all by myself.  What’s wonderful about not having to share the figs is that I don’t have to worry about what I combine them with and other people’s likes and dislikes.  In our house when comes to using figs it’s all about me and what I enjoy.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy figs is fresh from the tree topped with a bit of chèvre and drizzled with a balsamic syrup so when I saw a recipe for a Fig & Watermelon Salad on Lisa’s Authentic Suburban Gourmet I knew immediately that I would be making, eating and enjoying it…and ASAP.  Since I had already used up our first watermelon of the season from our garden making Watermelon Frosty drinks and Watermelon Tomato Gazpacho I patiently (yeah right as I checked the melons twice daily) waited for another melon to ripen.  Once it did I picked that 25 pound baby and while it was still warm from the sun, I sliced it open and made this salad.  I will say that I enjoyed the salad more when I made it the second day and the melon was chilled but I would eat it with warm melon again, any day, as this salad was off-the-charts wonderful.  

I changed the recipe very little from the original, not because I didn’t like anything but because I wanted to use what I had in the house.  So for this salad I used Vidalia instead of red onions and chèvre in lieu of Feta but I know that the salad would have been equally as good had I gone the other way.  Also just to up the fig factor instead of plain balsamic vinegar in the vinaigrette I used an orange & fig balsamic vinegar that I had picked up a ways back at World Market but had yet to use. 

I did question the addition of the mint but as I had it in the garden I went with it and it added great flavor to the salad.  With this salad I loved the contrast of the peppery arugula with the creaminess of the chèvre with the added sweetness of the melon & figs, just perfect.  The contrast in texture was wonderful too, the crisp watermelon & onion, the soft figs and cheese, well it’s just a wonderful salad all around.

Fig & Watermelon Salad (adapted from here)

6 cups arugula
12 figs, halved
2 cups one-inch watermelon cubes
1/2 medium Vidalia onion, sliced thin
1/2 cup chèvre, crumbled
6 mint leaves, chiffonade

Balsamic Dressing
2 TBS orange & fig balsamic vinegar, or my other favorite fig balsamic vinegar or regular balsamic vinegar
6 TBS olive oil
2 TBS Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Add all the dressing ingredients to a small glass jar with lid and shake well until combined.

To assemble the salad, add all of the salad ingredients to a platter and drizzle on the dressing for a beautiful presentation. 

Enjoy!!

Cantaloupe Agua Fresca

Last summer I posted my Melon Agua Fresca using passport melons fresh from our garden but those melons are just starting to come in so I’ve been buying some gorgeous local cantaloupes and making my drinks. 

Isn’t the color just gorgeous!!! 

I make a full pitcher so that I can enjoy my drinks for a few days.  With the hot temperatures we’ve had this summer often hovering right at 100F, I just can’t get enough of all my summer drinks, Watermelon Frosty, Mango Lassi, Mint Lassi and this Cantaloupe Agua Fresca.  I hope that you’re enjoying summer and sipping on something cool and delicious!

Cantaloupe Agua Fresca

1 perfectly ripe cantaloupe, skin & seeds removed and cut in chunks
6 packets (or to taste) stevia (or sweetener of your choice)
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon or lime juice
2 cups water

fresh mint sprigs for garnish

Place half of all the ingredients (except the garnish mint sprigs) in a blender and process until very smooth. Pour into a pitcher and then repeat with the other half of the ingredients. Chill until very cold. Before serving give it a stir and then pour over ice, garnish with a sprig of mint and serve.

Enjoy!!

Melon Agua Fresca

Our garden is producing gorgeous, sweet, delicious melons so Maisie and I have been enjoying this wonderfully refreshing drink.

Melon Agua Fresca 

1 perfectly ripe melon, skin & seeds removed and cut in chunks (I used an early gala as that’s what came out of the garden today)
6 packets (or to taste) stevia(or sweetener of your choice)
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon or lime juice
2 cups water

fresh mint sprigs for garnish

Place half of all the ingredients (except the garnish mint sprigs) in a blender and process until very smooth. Pour into a pitcher and then repeat with the other half of the ingredients. Chill until very cold. Before serving give it a stir and then pour over ice to serve and garnish with a sprig of mint.

Enjoy!!

Vanilla Scented Melon Soup

I know that it’s not much to look at but it sure is delicious and with all the melons we’re pulling from our garden, it’s a great way to use them in a different manner.  Maisie has enjoyed just drinking this from a cup like juice even though it has a thicker consistency.

Vanilla Scented Melon Soup

6 cups small pieces of melon (I used an early gala because that’s what came out of the garden and it tastes like a honeydew)
3 fresh mint leaves
1 teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste
1/8 teaspoon salt or to taste
fresh sprigs of mint garnish

Place all ingredients except the garnish mint sprigs in a blender and process until completely smooth. Chill overnight or until very cold. Serve garnished with a sprig of mint.

Enjoy!!