Embarrassingly Simple: (Greased) Watermelon Salad with Basil and Mint

This salad IS summer. Sure, the pool, sunscreen, kids doing car washes, summer camp, Popsicles and pink toes may qualify as summer-ish. But, have you had these three incredible ingredients together? Alright I said it... three ingredients! No one wants complicated for summer. This is about as easy as it gets.

A quick watermelon story... I could tell you that my mother loves it and my father could do without it, but that's not as scandalous as this picture:

Sun-kissed man with greased fruit?


My husband introduced a game to our Jr. high and high school students back on our first camping trip when we were leading our church's youth ministry. It involved lard, a watermelon, a body of water, teenagers and very few rules. I won't post the photos documenting the blood drawn in this game, but we'll just say the kids really got into it.

It was so hard to hold onto this slippery "ball" and bring it safely to shore.

Sometimes it made it to shore, but not in once piece.

Don't worry, I didn't let them eat this one.

I think this photo says it all. Chris! Be nice to the girls! Oh wait... they probably deserved it.

Watermelon deserves a little more respect than "Greased Watermelon" gave it, so I'll use this recipe as a tribute to all those precious fruits we trashed on the shores of Scott's Flat Lake.

Listing the ingredients seems silly... but whatever, I'm too consistent:



Watermelon Salad with Basil and Mint

1/2 watermelon

1 hand full of basil leaves (about 1/4 cup chopped and loosely packed)

1 hand full of mint leaves (about 1/4 cup chopped and loosely packed)

(no grease... just the memories)


OK, you ready? This is so easy. I have literally FOUR food photos for this post. Don't let it pass you by though. It will take you longer to read this post than it will to make the salad!

Step 1... chop the watermelon. There are so many ways to do it. I usually cut it into wedges and then cut out the red flesh, chopping random squares or triangular shapes from there. As Mom would always say "it doesn't matter, it all tastes the same."

Step 2: chiffonade your herbs... how are we doing with this by the way? Nearly all my recent posts include this word. Have you given into the process yet? Here's another chance to perfect your skills.

Roll the mint AND the basil leaves up together into little cigars of green. Then chop into thin strips. Lovely.

Step 3: top the watermelon with the herbs and eat outside in your red chair with your big hat on.

The perfect low maintenance summer side dish. For your patio or your teenagers at the lake. The basil and mint are beautiful together. And I know you have leftovers from your Soba Noodle Salad you made a few days ago!

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