Showing posts with label 4th of July recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 4th of July recipes. Show all posts

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Recipes for 4th of July - Grilled Watermelon Salsa

Tired of your usual jarred tomato salsa, or looking for a tomato-alternative salsa to go with your gluten-free tortilla chips at this year's barbeque?

I'm sensitive to tomatoes (they make my lips swell up like a B-rate actress in five minutes flat) so I'm always looking for good salsa recipes that let me get around the tomato issue. I love a good black-bean-and-charred-corn salsa, for example. But lately I've been craving the same kind of tart, vitamin C-rich salsa when we grill out, so we experimented and came up with this recipe:

Grilled Watermelon and Fennel Salsa


Ingredients: Watermelon, fennel, onion, mint, basil, champagne vinegar, red pepper or cilantro if desired

  1. Cut half-inch thick slices of watermelon, rind still on, from a small seedless watermelon.
  2. Cut 1/4 inch slices of both fennel bulb and onion.
  3. Grill the fennel and onion for a minute or two on each side, on a grill or grill pan on medium heat, until they start to soften. Then remove and set aside. 
  4. Grill the watermelon on both sides until color changes from pink to a light orange. Salt both sides with Kosher salt while grilling.
  5. Dice the grilled fennel and onion and cut the grilled watermelon into 1/2 cubes, and combine with a dash of your favorite vinegar, pomegranate juice, or other acidic liquid.
  6. Mince the fresh herbs - mint, basil, or cilantro work well - and sprinkle over the salsa. If needed, and a pinch of salt or sugar, to taste.