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Easy Grilled Watermelon and Feta Salad with Mint and Balsamic Reduction

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Easy Grilled Watermelon and Feta Salad with Mint and Balsamic Reduction

Grilled Watermelon and Feta Salad with Mint and Balsamic Reduction

We’ve been all things fall this week with back to school and football excitement, so it seemed like a good time to remember that we still have watermelon and summer produce for a little while longer.  I don’t know about you, but I sure do love some grilled watermelon.  Toss in some feta, mint, and balsamic reduction and I’m totally in the middle of summer even though we are staring Labor Day and the beginning of fall right in the face.

Grilled Watermelon and Feta Salad with Mint and Balsamic Reduction

Speaking of Labor Day, this Easy Watermelon and Feta Salad would be absolutely perfect to take to the cookout, picnic, or whatever festivities you may have planned to celebrate the holiday and three day weekend!  Woot!  So, what are you plans this weekend?  We decided to take a sort of last minute end of summer trip to the beach.  We’re headed to Hilton Head and turning this three day weekend into a five day vacation.  Heck yeah!  Unlike our last trip to the beach about a month ago, this one will just be the two of us without other family or little people shenanigans.  We’re all about the relaxation this time.

Grilled Watermelon and Feta Salad with Mint and Balsamic Reduction

Although there might be some boogie board action again.  We’ll just have to buy one for Chris, since we don’t have any little people to steal borrow them from this time.

Grilled Watermelon and Feta Salad with Mint and Balsamic Reduction

Whether you are going to the beach, a cookout, or having some friends over this weekend, I highly recommend that you make a grilled watermelon and feta salad.  You can totally change it up by using mozzarella instead of feta, basil instead of mint, or plain balsamic vinegar without reducing it.  You could also just grill a watermelon and call it a day.  It would be delicious!

Grilled Watermelon and Feta Salad with Mint and Balsamic Reduction
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Easy Grilled Watermelon and Feta Salad with Mint and Balsamic Reduction

Ingredients

  • 1 small seedless watermelon rind removed and sliced into 1/2 - 3/4 inch wedges
  • 4 - 6 ounces crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1/4 - 1/2 cup mint or basil leaves

Instructions

  1. In a small sauce pot, bring balsamic vinegar and honey to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until thick and syrupy - 5 - 10 minutes, set aside to cool slightly while you grill the watermelon
  2. Grill watermelon slices over high heat 1 - 2 minutes per side
  3. Arrange watermelon slices on a platter, crumble feta over the top, drizzle with balsamic reduction, top with mint and/or basil leaves

Grilled Watermelon and Feta Salad with Mint and Balsamic Reduction

Roasted Beets – Homegrown!!

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Y’all, I have the most exciting news!

 

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I grew beets!   No joke! I’m sorry if that isn’t as exciting to you as it is to me, but I’ve never really grown anything but basil.  Oh, and a couple of serrano peppers for Chris.  And you’ve met me, right? I LOVE and totally HEART beets!

 

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I also grew some random tomatoes.  The tomatoes that are growing best in my garden right now are not actually in my garden.  They are growing by the side of my house where I tossed some unattractive tomatoes last summer.  Now the’re ginormous plants with green tomatoes all over them ready to explode into a welcome invasion of red tomatoes that I’m not sure what in tarnation I’ll do with.

 

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So yay me for growing some beets!  I kept them true to their best flavor and roasted them.  Then I just tossed them with some basil and balsamic and put them in a bowl.

 

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I’m glad I did.

 

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Roasted Beets – Homegrown!!

Ingredients

  • 8-10 beets
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 10-12 basil leaves
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425
  2. Individually wrap each beet in a foil packet drizzled with olive oil - the beet not the packet 🙂
  3. Roast for about 1 hour, depending on size, let cool
  4. Peel, then dice, slice, cube, or whatever floats your boat.
  5. Toss in balsamic
  6. Garnish with basli

Grilled Watermelon Caprese Salad

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Hello Summer!  I’ve missed you, old friend.

 

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Nothing says summer more than a caprese salad.  Well, maybe watermelon and grilling.  I had so much watermelon and I already pureed it and added booze so what’s left to do?  Throw it on the grill.

 

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Now we all know that I tend to make things janky rustic and that’s the way I’m rolling here.

 

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I could have done some precision artistry with my big ole knife and made uniform shapes or some business like that.

 

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But I didn’t.  The truth is that I started to and just got over it.  I was ready to get my grill on with this watermelon caprese.

 

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And it was time for dinner.

 

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Grilled Watermelon Caprese Salad

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 8 or so cups of watermelon pieces
  • salt according to taste
  • 8 ounces mozzarella
  • 15 or so basil leaves

Instructions

  1. Bring balsamic to a boil in a small sauce pan, reduce to medium and reduce by about half and thick
  2. Salt watermelon according to tase - I used about 1/4 teaspoon on all the watermelon and found it to be a bit insufficient
  3. Grill watermelon 2-3 minutes each side - you can do this on a grill or use a grill pan on the stove
  4. While watermelon is grilling, cut up the mozzarella into slices, then quarters
  5. Let the watermelon cool and drain a bit so it doesn't get soggy
  6. Arrange watermelon on a platter, top with mozzarella and basil
  7. Drizzle with balsamic reduction
  8. Serve immediately

Note: I think grilled peaches and/or plums would be a nice addition with the watermelon.

Grilled Plum and Peach Stacks with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Fig Reduction

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After last weekend I’m ready for my staycation!  Woot!

 

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No alarm clocks, emails, or phone calls.

 

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No commute downtown.

 

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It’s nice to just stay home sometimes, don’t you think?

 

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And enjoy the simplicity.

 

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Traveling is certainly fun too, but sometimes I need a vacation to recover from my vacation.

 

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So we’re staycationing and keeping things simple.  Simple like some grilled plums and peaches with a balsamic fig reduction.

 

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It doesn’t get much simpler than that.

 

 

 

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Grilled Plum and Peach Stack with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Fig Reduction

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds peaches and plums combined halved and pitted
  • 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons fig preserves
  • 1/4 cup goat cheese
  • handful of basil leaves optional

Instructions

  1. Put plums and peaches in a large bowl and toss with 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  2. Combine 1 cup balsamic vinegar and fig preserves in a saucepan over high heat, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce is reduced by about half and thick, stir frequently (15 - 20 minutes)
  3. Grill peaches and plums over high heat 2 minutes each side, cut side first, pour remaining balsamic over top after turning
  4. Stack e peach and 3 plum slices alternately, top with goat cheese and drizzle with balsamic fig reduction
  5. Garnish with basil leaves if desired
  6. For an easy alternative you can just toss it all in a big bowl and call it a salad.