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I love watermelon. It's one of those foods on which I can easily gorge myself without feeling guilty, and it's incredibly delicious. Watermelon tastes like all the best things about summertime. It's quenching, sweet, and messy, and it even has seeds that you can spit at your sister until your mom yells at you to knock it off. A triangular slice of it, eaten off a paper plate that had previously held a grilled hamburger and cole slaw, is pretty much a fixture of American life.
Watermelon is one of those foods that's so wonderful in its purest, simplest form, that I will rarely do anything to it. A while back, though, I got interested in the idea of watermelon salads. Last summer, I found myself making salads with watermelon, tomato, basil, and either feta cheese or avocado, dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The sweetness of the watermelon with the savory flavors of the other ingredients was so perfectly harmonious that the whole was more than the sum of its parts.
This year, I am growing lime basil for the first time. I didn't really know how it would smell or taste. I guessed it would be pretty much like your average genovese basil, but with a faint citrus scent. Well, the other day, I was pinching off a damaged leaf, and I realized that this was completely incorrect. One touch, and the air was redolent of bright green citrus. It made me think a bit of lemon balm, mixed with lime peels. Oh my stars and garters. I was in love. Now, I'm dying to use this fabulous ingredient in a watermelon salad. I can hardly wait until my plants are big enough to start harvesting. Watermelon and citrus always go well together, and this combination will be just right together, I think. I'm also considering making a watermelon and lime basil agua fresca, and of course there will have to be some kind of gin-based cocktail that uses the herb. Of course.
Watermelon is one of those foods that's so wonderful in its purest, simplest form, that I will rarely do anything to it. A while back, though, I got interested in the idea of watermelon salads. Last summer, I found myself making salads with watermelon, tomato, basil, and either feta cheese or avocado, dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The sweetness of the watermelon with the savory flavors of the other ingredients was so perfectly harmonious that the whole was more than the sum of its parts.
This year, I am growing lime basil for the first time. I didn't really know how it would smell or taste. I guessed it would be pretty much like your average genovese basil, but with a faint citrus scent. Well, the other day, I was pinching off a damaged leaf, and I realized that this was completely incorrect. One touch, and the air was redolent of bright green citrus. It made me think a bit of lemon balm, mixed with lime peels. Oh my stars and garters. I was in love. Now, I'm dying to use this fabulous ingredient in a watermelon salad. I can hardly wait until my plants are big enough to start harvesting. Watermelon and citrus always go well together, and this combination will be just right together, I think. I'm also considering making a watermelon and lime basil agua fresca, and of course there will have to be some kind of gin-based cocktail that uses the herb. Of course.
