CHEF JEFF — ONE BYTE AT A TIME: Watermelon Salad with Feta, Herbs and Chilies

Sweet meets spicy in this tangy salad from Mindy Fox’s “Salads: Beyond the Bowl” (Kyle Books, $19.95).

Watermelon Salad with Feta, Herbs and Chilies

4-pound piece seedless watermelon

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

½ cup cilantro leaves

1/3 cup mint leaves, torn into small pieces

1 fresh Scotch bonnet or similar hot chili, seeded and very thinly sliced

Ground Aleppo pepper or piment d’Espelette

Flaky coarse sea salt

1/3 cup roasted pepitas

¼ cup very good extra-virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling

1 lime

Peel watermelon. Cut fruit into small pieces, about ¼-inch wide. In large shallow bowl, layer half of melon, sprinkle with half the feta, half the cilantro, mint, fresh chili. Season with generous amount of pepper; crush several pinches of salt over top. Sprinkle with half of pepitas, half the oil, half the lime juice. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Drizzle with extra oil, if desired.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6.

Grab more food tidbits at the Chef Jeff blog at GrandForksHerald.com.

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