GRILLED WATERMELON SALAD
Excerpt from The Ucross Cookbook: Cooking for Artists on a Wyoming Ranch, by Cindy Brooks with Cree LeFavour
This unusual salad flummoxes Ucross artists. “Is it tuna?” more than one artist has asked me as they bit into the tender watermelon. Grilled, the texture of the melon does transform into something that, if not quite sashimi-like, is unlike any watermelon I’ve tasted. Combined with the spicy bite of the watercress and the tangy goat cheese, it’s a summer staple for Ucross artists. I guess unusual dishes like this are part of what residents mean when they call the food at Ucross “inventive.”
TIP: Look for heavier melons with a “field spot”—that’s the flat, lightly discolored spot on one side of the globe that marks the spot where the melon rested in the field. Melons without a field spot were likely picked long before they began to ripen.
Preheat your grill to its highest setting or build a fire to cook over white-hot coals.Brush the watermelon with olive oil and sprinkle on both sides with salt and black pepper. Place the slices on the hot grill for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until striped by sear marks on both sides.
Place the grilled watermelon in a colander to cool and drain before cutting the slices into 1-inch squares. Return the diced melon to the colander and set it over a mixing bowl. Refrigerate the melon for 30 minutes or until it’s thoroughly chilled.
In a large salad bowl, toss together the onion, tomatoes, basil, raspberry vinegar, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, a pinch of salt, and fresh black pepper. Set the mixture aside at room temperature to macerate for 20 minutes or so.
To finish the salad, gently press the watermelon, without crushing it, to remove any excess juice before tossing it into the dressed tomato-herb mixture. Add the watercress and goat cheese, gently tossing one last time before serving.
This unusual salad flummoxes Ucross artists. “Is it tuna?” more than one artist has asked me as they bit into the tender watermelon. Grilled, the texture of the melon does transform into something that, if not quite sashimi-like, is unlike any watermelon I’ve tasted. Combined with the spicy bite of the watercress and the tangy goat cheese, it’s a summer staple for Ucross artists. I guess unusual dishes like this are part of what residents mean when they call the food at Ucross “inventive.”
TIP: Look for heavier melons with a “field spot”—that’s the flat, lightly discolored spot on one side of the globe that marks the spot where the melon rested in the field. Melons without a field spot were likely picked long before they began to ripen.
- 1 small seedless watermelon, peeled and sliced 1 inch thick
- ¼ cup olive oil, plus more for brushing the melon
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- ¼ red onion, thinly sliced
- 6 Campari, 2 large heirloom, or 1½ pints cherry tomatoes, cut in half or into wedges depending on their size
- ½ cup lightly packed torn fresh basil leaves
- 3 tablespoons raspberry vinegar (or substitute sherry vinegar)
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 4 cups lightly packed watercress, heavy stems trimmed
- ½ cup goat cheese, crumbled
Preheat your grill to its highest setting or build a fire to cook over white-hot coals.Brush the watermelon with olive oil and sprinkle on both sides with salt and black pepper. Place the slices on the hot grill for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until striped by sear marks on both sides.
Place the grilled watermelon in a colander to cool and drain before cutting the slices into 1-inch squares. Return the diced melon to the colander and set it over a mixing bowl. Refrigerate the melon for 30 minutes or until it’s thoroughly chilled.
In a large salad bowl, toss together the onion, tomatoes, basil, raspberry vinegar, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, a pinch of salt, and fresh black pepper. Set the mixture aside at room temperature to macerate for 20 minutes or so.
To finish the salad, gently press the watermelon, without crushing it, to remove any excess juice before tossing it into the dressed tomato-herb mixture. Add the watercress and goat cheese, gently tossing one last time before serving.
Did you enjoy this recipe?
Find more delicious dishes, along with artist essays, photographs of our Wyoming ranch, and stories from Chef Cindy Brooks, in The Ucross Cookbook, available for online purchase and at select bookstores, galleries, and boutiques. Proceeds directly benefit our nonprofit.
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