I attended an Emmy party for industry peer groups at the TV Academy in North Hollywood and they had a fabulous caterer. The event was decorated in a 60’s Pan Am theme. I loved the TV show “Pan Am” that came out a couple years ago and hated that it got canceled. The eclectic cuisine was served by stewardesses and airline captains and was scrumptious. They served tiny dishes and appetizers including chicken and waffles that I couldn’t resist. One of the selections was a refreshing Mediterranean watermelon vegetable salad. It inspired me to create a similar recipe of my own.
I hope you enjoy this watermelon vegetable salad.
- 2 cups of watermelon chopped into bite sized pieces
- 1 small Persian cucumber chopped
- 2-4 thin slices of onion cut in half
- ½ cup of coarsely chopped bell pepper (I used mini yellow and orange bell peppers)
- 6-12 Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced in half
- 2 fresh mint leaves chopped
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- juice of a small lime squeezed
- 1 clove of garlic crushed
- ½ tsp honey
- Assemble the chopped vegetables, watermelon, and mint on salad plates
- Blend all ingredients. Drizzle over salad
The benefits of eating watermelon
Watermelon is one of the healthiest fruits you can eat. Deep red watermelons have more lycopene than even tomatoes. They also contain antioxidant carotenoids, lutein, and beta-carotene to lower blood pressure, improve arterial and cardiovascular health, and reduce soreness after exercise. Because the fruit is 92 percent water it will help keep you hydrated. That’s important for everybody, but especially if you’re over 50.
If you’re having blood pressure issues, kidney disorders, diabetes, immune system problems, impotence, or macular degeneration add watermelon to your diet when it’s in season. It couldn’t hurt.
What other ways do you serve watermelon? Please leave a comment below and share.
Shelley Bell says
September 5, 2013 at 8:25 amThanks for the great idea! I’m inspired to cut open the watermelon that is sitting on my counter! I have some mint in my garden too. And I think I will make some watermelon water by blending some watermelon with cold water and then adding small watermelon chunks. Woo hoo! So refreshing!
Rebecca Forstadt-Olkowski says
September 5, 2013 at 11:06 amThat sounds so yummy! I love watermelon water too. Mint makes it even more refreshing. Enjoy Shelley. I’m so glad I was able to inspire you!