Heat-Quenching in Style

Watermelon and lemonade, old summer favorites in their simplest form

Watermelon and lemonade, old summer favorites in their simplest form, offer a new world of heat-quenching flavor if you experiment a bit.

For a true study of contrasts, serve a Feta Watermelon Salad, for example. Imagine salty, creamy feta cheese crumbled over sweet red watermelon slices accented with peppery green watercress-all drizzled with a fruity olive oil and a sprinkling of black pepper. The hardest part of assembling the salad is getting the seeds out of the watermelon, so if you can find a seedless variety, grab it. For even greater impact, use both red and yellow-meated varieties.

Making real lemonade with fresh lemon juice, water, and sugar is little more work than stirring up a batch of instant, so go for the original. Its taste can?t be beaten. Juicing lemons is quick and easy with a handy citrus reamer or juicer. Roll lemons on the kitchen counter with the palm of your hand before cutting to release even more juice.

If pink is your color, simply add a few drops of red food coloring or grenadine syrup to the lemonade. Mint sprigs make a sophisticated garnish, and crushed mint adds a fragrant, minty flavor. Or, substitute fresh lime juice for some or all of the lemon juice for a more exotic refreshment.

Recipe

Feta Watermelon Salad

• 1 4-pound piece of water-melon (about 1/4 of a small to mediumwatermelon)
• 6 ounces feta cheese,crumbled
• 1 small bunch watercress
• Olive oil
• Freshly cracked black pepper

Cut watermelon from rind. Cut into wedges about 1/2 inch thick by 2 inches, removing seeds as necessary. Arrange watercress on a platter. Top with watermelon. Crumble feta cheese over the watermelon. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with pepper. Serves 8.

Fresh Lemonade

• 3 cups water
• 1 cup freshly squeezed
• lemon juice
• (about 5 large lemons)
• 3/4 cup sugar

Combine ingredients. Mix well and serve over ice. Garnish with lemon slices. Double or triple the recipe as needed.

Variations

• Minted Lemonade - Bruise fresh mint leaves in glass before adding lemonade.
• Pink Lemonade - Add two to three drops of red food coloring or 2 tablespoons grenadine syrup.
• Limeade - Substitute lime juice for lemon juice and increase sugar to 1 cup.

Mindy Merrell is a Nashville, Tenn.-based food writer and the author of two cookbooks.

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