Watermelon, Tomato, and Quick Pickled Watermelon Rind Salad                  marydukecooks.com

When my daughter, Lindsey, was home she made a summer salad with fresh fruit and vegetables. The combination of sweet watermelon, acidic tomatoes, spicy basil and pickled watermelon rind was delightful! Enjoy!

Watermelon, Tomato, and Quick Pickled Watermelon Rind Salad

Quick pickled watermelon rind, (recipe follows)
3 cups watermelon cut in chunks
1 1/2 cups red heirloom tomatoes cut in wedges
1 1/2 cups red heirloom tomatoes cut in wedges
½ to ⅔ cup Champagne vinaigrette, (recipe follows)
Fresh basil leaves
1 head Boston, Bibb or butter lettuce
Nasturtium petals, optional (edible flower petals)

Make quick pickled watermelon rind. Make Champagne viniagrette. Rind will marinate while preparing other ingredients.

Cut watermelon and tomatoes. Place in a large bowl. Stir in champagne vinaigrette. Let set 15 minutes.

To serve: Place lettuce leaves on a serving platter. Spoon tomatoes and watermelon on top of lettuce. Garnish with fresh basil, pickled watermelon rind and nasturtium petals. Enjoy!

Quick Pickled Watermelon Rind

1 cup watermelon rind cut in ½-inch X ¼-inch bite size pieces
¼ cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
(seasoned rice wine vinegar contains sugar and salt)

Remove green outer skin from watermelon rind. Cut rind into small pieces leaving about ⅛-inch pink watermelon on the rind. Place rind in a zip lock bag. Pour rice wine vinegar into bag, remove air, and seal bag. Rotate bag to coat all pieces with vinegar. Let marinate 20-30 minutes before using.

Tip: To make “seasoned” rice wine vinegar from rice wine vinegar, combine ¼ cup rice wine vinegar, 4 teaspoons granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon kosher salt.

Champagne Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup olive oil

Place all ingredients in a mason jar. Seal jar and shake to combine. Makes about 2/3 cup.

Published in The News and Neighbor on September 5, 2018.