What’s in Season: Watermelon Pico de Gallo

You don't have to love fruits and vegetables to take advantage of the local farmer's market. Do it to support local businesses and farmers; do it if reducing your carbon footprint is a concern to you; or try a new recipe using produce you can be certain of its freshness and quality. The featured ingredient for this long overdue entry is watermelon. Watermelon has a three-month window of availability in this province, from July through September. Though technically classified as part of a botanical family of gourds that includes vegetables such as cucumber, squash, and pumpkin, watermelon has always been considered a fruit. 92 percent water, every part of a watermelon can be eaten, as the rinds can be stir-fried, stewed, or pickled, and the seeds can be dried and roasted like you would pumpkin seeds. The sweet red flesh makes a great substitute for tomatoes in the pico de gallo recipe below.

Ingredients

610 g watermelon, finely chopped
305 g cucumber, finely chopped
75 g red onion, finely chopped
40 g fresh cilantro, finely chopped
60 mL fresh lime juice
15 g honey
10 g lime zest, finely grated
2 g salt
1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
feta cheese, crumbled (optional)

1. Toss watermelon with the cucumber, onion, cilantro and jalapeno.
2. Whisk lime juice with the zest, honey and salt. Stir into the watermelon mixture.
3. Chill for 30 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips; for an additional burst of flavour, add the feta.
   
   Serves: 12