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

Anytime Summer Salad

As someone who has lived in Canada his entire life, I'll never understand people who like winter over summer. My hometown is the world's coldest capital city more often than not. You would think by now I would get accustomed to all the ice, slush, and snow that make every winter seem rougher and more frigid than the last, far from it.  I'm one of those people who never complain when the mercury rises above 30 degrees Celsius.  Mainly because I know windchills below 30 degrees Celsius will soon be a regular part of the forecast. For me, it's much easier to enjoy the weather when it's hot and sunny than when it's cold and dreary. Yes, there are bright days in the winter, but the cold saps any desire to be out in it for any longer than I have to. For those who also prefer the weather hot and muggy over bone-chillingly frigid hopefully, this recipe from one of my favourite cookbooks can take you back to the dog days of summer, or at least be a sweet and salty treat for after you're done shoveling your walkway.

Ingredients:

300 g fresh watermelon, cubed or scooped (yes, this would be better when watermelon is in season)
120 g feta cheese, cut into small pieces
40 g red onion, sliced as thin as possible, soaked and drained (water or vinegar will work)
15 g extra virgin olive oil
3 g balsamic vinegar (or 6 g lime juice)

•  Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, making sure everything is coated.
• Play with the tastes by adding black olives for more saltiness; red pepper flakes for more heat; and mint leaves for their refreshing cooling effect.