I got this recipe from a New Zealand cookbook years ago before this fruit watermelon feta combo became a thing. It was great then, it is still great now. A perfect summer salad.
Verjuice is the sour acidic juice of unripe fruit. Named from the French vert (green) and jus (juice), verjuice, verjus, or vertjus, as it is also called, is literally 'green juice'. Its history stretches back to medieval, and perhaps even Roman, times when it was made with whatever fruit grew locally - crabapples, apples, gooseberries and plums. Contemporary verjuice is typically extracted from grapes.
Good verjuice is tangy yet mellow, with a light, fresh acidity underpinned by fruitiness. It is milder than vinegar, softer than lemon juice and more ascerbic than wine.
150mlReisling verjuice (or lemon juice, or white wine)
1tbsppink peppercorns, crushed
100mlavocado oil
Rosewater marinade
1
Make the rosewater marinade by mixing the rosewater, verjuice, pink peppercorns, and avocado oil
Salad
2
Cut the watermelon into even bite size pieces
Place the feta cheese in the marinade and leave for 2-3 hours
Crush half the pistachio nuts
3
To serve:
toss the marinated cheese , watermelon, crushed nuts mint and basil leaves together in a large bowl and finish with the remaining pistachio nuts for a refreshing light salad.
Ingredients
1watermelon
220gfeta cheese, cut into cubes
½cuppistachio nuts
¼cupmint leaves, picked over, stalks removed
¼cupbasil leaves, picked over, stalks removed
Rosewater marinade
35mlrosewater
150mlReisling verjuice (or lemon juice, or white wine)
1tbsppink peppercorns, crushed
100mlavocado oil
Directions
Rosewater marinade
1
Make the rosewater marinade by mixing the rosewater, verjuice, pink peppercorns, and avocado oil
Salad
2
Cut the watermelon into even bite size pieces
Place the feta cheese in the marinade and leave for 2-3 hours
Crush half the pistachio nuts
3
To serve:
toss the marinated cheese , watermelon, crushed nuts mint and basil leaves together in a large bowl and finish with the remaining pistachio nuts for a refreshing light salad.
Notes
Watermelon, rosewater-marinated feta and pistachio salad