Watermelon, Gruyere, Charred Jalapeno, Mint Salad

I started experimenting with fruit and cheese summer salads while cooking in Umbria last year.  On multiple occasions, I decided to refresh myself in the summer heat by playing with perfectly ripe fruit salads, paired with cheese, herbs and a lingering spicy note for balance.

At a recent cheese focused dinner at Artisanal, a friend openly scoffed at a watermelon, olive and feta cheese salad appetizer, thinking the salty flavors of olive juxtaposed with the sweet, refreshing flavors of watermelon would be a stretch.  I was in the mood for snails in puff pastry on this given night, so I'd have to prove that a savory watermelon salad was worthy some other time.

At the market the next day, I was reminded of those perfect summer days in Italy - watermelon salad, spicy peppers, a bite of cool fresh mint, an unexpected, salty, creamy cheese.  A drizzle of fine extra virgin olive oil, maybe a squeeze of lemon juice rounding out the flavors.  Those satisfying days in Italy were calling at me, thanks to a random reminder from a Manhattan bistro.

I decided to experiment with my choices of cheese and peppers.  Peperoncino was an obvious ingredient while in Italy, but I went with jalapeno on this occasion.  I simply blistered the pepper on the gas flame of my stove for a bit of extra flavor. I wanted a firm cheese, so I went with a cave aged Gruyere.  You know, the kind with those crunchy, crystallized salty bites I love so much.   I decided to make fried ginger slivers, which added a subtle backbone of flavor and texture to the dish. 

The presentation needed to be simple, but at least slightly thoughtful.  I wanted to feature layers of the ingredients, so I chose to serve three neat stacks of the salad on a plate for an appetizer.  A thin slice of  the sweet watermelon is the first explosion of flavor in the mouth, which is quickly followed by the creamy, firm cheese.  The fresh blast of the mint hits the palate and bursts with flavor, while the heat of the jalapeno hits you right at the back of the throat to conclude the bite.   A squeeze of citrus and the fruity drizzle of olive oil is a nice condiment to the dish.

If you're interested in trying these flavor combinations, it's important to consider the temperature of  both the cheese and watermelon. Obviously, the watermelon is best served cold.  Thin shavings of the cheese is slightly important for proportional balance, but it's critical to properly ripen the cheese at room temp.  As we all know, a cold cheese is no one's friend. 

Comments

[Panos]

Watermelon together with feta is a pretty common snack/light dinner in many parts of Greece.

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