There’s a saying in the south that a watermelon is not any good until July. That may be true to a degree, but as soon as they begin appearing at farmer’s markets, I’ve got to have one.
The watermelon is an extremely versatile fruit. I love it by the slice with a sprinkling of sea salt, but have even enjoyed it grilled. But my new favorite way to eat it is accompanied by feta cheese…
Cucumber watermelon salad is a summer staple at my house, and I’m sure once you try it, it will be at yours too.
Now aside from being refreshing, watermelon has additional healthy attributes, including an impressive array of phenolic antioxidants, flavonoids, lycopene, and vitamin C. And the redder your melon, the higher the antioxidant content.
Additionally watermelon contains about 250 mg of citrulline per cup — an amino acid that is converted to arginine in your body. Higher levels of arginine can help improve blood flow and other aspects of your cardiovascular health. There’s also some preliminary evidence from animal studies that greater conversion of citrulline into arginine may help prevent excess accumulation of fat in fat cells due to blocked activity of an enzyme called tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase, or TNAP.
Cucumber watermelon salad
- 1 seedless watermelon cut into cubes
- 1 small red onion, sliced
- 3 baby cucumbers
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
- ½ cup mint leaves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Mix onion with lime juice and allow to marinate for 10 minutes. Add olive oil and stir. Combine watermelon, cucumbers and feta cheese together in a large bowl. Pour the onion mixture over ingredients in bowl and toss to coat. Sprinkle mint over salad and toss.
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Source: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=31
