Honeydew and Tomato Salad with Feta

Ever since our friend Brenda requested that I make a salad that reminded her of a dish she ate in Amsterdam, the wheels have been churning. She recalled a salad with melon and tomato and a coriander dressing that was topped with three shrimp…so that’s what I had to work with. I’ve never been to the Netherlands and thus haven’t actually eaten this specific salad, but I was on a mission to create something that might recreate her food experience.

There is a huge sale on sweet summer melons at Sprouts this week and I had my eye on honeydew. I thought that might be a good base along with some bright red Roma tomatoes as well as some fresh cilantro and a jalapeno for a little kick. When I got home from the store, I noticed there was a similar salad recipe at Epicurious that I could tweak plus it incorporated honeydew, tomato, jalapeno and cilantro that I just bought – nice fit! I added feta for a salty element and made a few adjustments for a vibrant summer salad that could be served as a first course or a side dish. If you would like to serve this as a light lunch, I’m sure this would be delightful served with shrimp that were quickly marinated in lime, salt and olive oil and grilled for a few minutes.

This made quite a bit but I have a feeling it won’t last long, the flavor combo is scrumptious – both sweet and salty with a freshness from the lime and cilantro, yummmm! Honeydew and tomato may sound a little strange together but this totally works!!! Thanks for the inspiration, Brenda, I hope you enjoy this as much as I do 🙂

Honeydew and Tomato Salad with Feta

Ingredients

2 Tbsp pepitas (raw green hulled pumpkin seeds)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp lime juice (could sub distilled white vinegar or white wine vinegar if preferred)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 small jalapeno, seeded, deveined and finely chopped (use less if preferred)
4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 honeydew melon, chopped into cubes
2-3 Tbsp feta, crumbled
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a small skillet over medium heat, add pepitas and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove seeds from pan and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, add cumin, olive oil, jalapeno, cilantro  and lime juice and whisk to combine.
3. Add chopped tomatoes and melon to bowl and stir to coat. Then gently add feta and toss to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with pepitas and serve!

This salad is featured at Slightly Indulgent Tuesday at Amy’s delicious Simply Sugar and Gluten Free blog this week!  It is also featured at  “Get Grillin’ with Family Fresh Cooking and Cookin’ Canuck, sponsored by Ile de France Cheese, Rösle, Emile Henry, Rouxbe and ManPans!”