Confession: I cannot take credit for the following recipe.
As a former resident of Palm Beach County’s Agricultural Reserve community, I was often able to purchase locally-grown ingredients directly from the farmers’ fields. In addition, this wonderful website, provides some great Florida recipes in which to utilize their home-grown dandies!
With the heat of summer, I’m always looking for something to serve that’s tasty, refreshing, and doesn’t require much – or any – cooking.
To me, summer is synonymous with watermelon. Served plain or fancy, it’s the way to go!
Watermelon is a refreshing fruit on any given day, but sometimes it’s nice to jazz it up. So, here is ‘Fresh from Florida’s’
recipe for Watermelon with Mint Oil, Balsamic Syrup and Feta Cheese.
If Florida watermelons aren’t available near you, use whatever watermelon is sold in your neighborhood.
Florida Watermelon with Balsamic Syrup, Mint Oil, and Feta Cheese (Photo from ‘Fresh from Florida’) |
Florida Watermelon Slices with Balsamic Syrup, Mint Oil, and Feta Cheese
Ingredients
Main Ingredients:
- 6-12 slices fresh Florida watermelon
- 4-6 oz. Feta cheese (crumbled)
Mint Oil:
- ½ cup olive oil
- 20-25 fresh mint leaves
- 2 Tbsp. parsley
- sea salt (to taste)
**Balsamic Vinegar Syrup:
- 1½ cups balsamic vinegar
- 3 Tbsp. natural sugar
Instructions
Mint Oil Preparation:
- Combine all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
Balsamic Vinegar Syrup Preparation:
- In a medium-sized saucepan, combine vinegar and sugar. Bring ingredients to a boil and turn down the heat so the vinegar won’t boil over. Continue to cook for about 20 minutes until the syrup coats the back of a spoon. You should end up with about 1/3 of a cup of syrup. Let cool to room temperature.
Assembling the Recipe:
- Arrange slices of watermelon on individual plates or a large platter. Drizzle small amounts of mint oil and balsamic syrup over the watermelon slices. Add the crumbled feta cheese to the top of the sliced melon. Serve cold.
Notes
Commercially prepared Balsamic Reduction may be substituted for the balsamic vinegar syrup. It contains the same ingredients as the balsamic vinegar syrup recipe, but without the work!