Recipes: Watermelon Berry Sorbet & Salad with Feta & Mint

Watermelon Berry Sorbet

Servings: 6 to 8 servings

Prep Time: 25 mins

Total Time: 2 hrs 55 mins

1 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups seeded watermelon cubes
2 cups fresh berries (raspberries, strawberries, and/or blueberries).

Snipped fresh lemon balm

Fresh lemon balm sprigs

1. In a medium saucepan combine water and sugar; bring to boiling,stirring frequently. Boil gently, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

2. Place the watermelon and berries in a blender or large food processor; cover and blend or process for 30 seconds. Add the warm syrup and blend until almost smooth. Transfer the mixture to a 3-quart rectangular baking dish or a 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Place in the freezer, uncovered, for 1-1/2 hours or until almost solid.

3. Remove sorbet from freezer. Using a fork, break up the frozen fruit into a somewhat smooth mixture. Stir in snipped lemon balm. Freeze 1 hour more*. Break up the ice with a fork and serve in shallow bowls.Top with lemon balm sprigs and a few blueberries and/or raspberries. Note: If mixture is frozen longer than the final hour, let it stand at room temperature about 20 minutes before breaking up mixture with a fork and serving.

Credit: Recipe is property of Better Homes and Garden.

Watermelon Salad with Feta and Mint

Servings: 12

Prep Time: 25 mins

Total Time: 25 mins
Ingredients
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon Tabasco

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 8-pound seedless watermelon, scooped into balls with a melon baller or cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks, chilled (10 cups)see savings

1/2 pound feta cheese (2 cups), crumbled

1 1/4 cups pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped (optional)

1 small sweet onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 cup coarsely chopped mint leaves
Directions
1. In a large bowl, whisk the oil, lemon juice, salt, Tabasco and pepper. Add the watermelon, feta, olives, and onion and toss gently. Garnish with the mint and serve.

Jacques Pepin's friends Faith Middleton (host of NPR's The Food Schmooze) and veteran publicist Fern Berman once brought a watermelon salad to one of his boules parties. He loved it and was inspired to create this recipe. Although he cuts a small, seedless watermelon into rounds with a melon baller (adding the trimmings to the salad, too, so as not to waste them), you can also chop the watermelon into cubes.
Credit: Recipe is from Food and Wine magazine.