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ingredients
4 Watermelon squares, 2x2x2-inch
4 Tbsp. Feta cheese, crumbled
1 Tbsp. Mascarpone, softened
2+ Tbsp. Heavy Cream
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/2 Cup Pistachios, toasted and chopped
2 Tbsp. Thinly sliced red onion
1/4 Cup balsamic glaze
DIRECTIONS
1) Place the feta cheese,mascarpone, several grinds of black pepper and heavy cream in a bowl and use a hand mixer to beat it until light and fluffy. Add a little more heavy cream if you need to loosen it up so it is spreadable. It should be the consistency of frosting. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary,
2) In a small skillet on the stove, toast your pistachios over medium high heat until fragrant. (2-3 minutes) Watch closely so that they don’t burn. Toss pistachios so they are toasted on all sides. Chop into small pieces.
3) Using a mandoline, thinly shave red onion until you have about 2 tablespoons of paper thin red onion slices.
4) Spread the watermelon squares with a thin 1/4-inch layer of the whipped feta. Top the feta with the toasted, chopped pistachios. Put a small pile of the shaved onion right on top of each watermelon square.
5) If your balsamic glaze bottle has a thin pour spout, use that. If not,place your balsamic glaze in a squeeze bottle so you can control how it is laid out on the plate. On individual plates or on a family style platter, squeeze the balsamic glaze in a swirly pattern on the plate. Alternatively, you can dot the plate (s) with dime size dots of the glaze.
6) Place your watermelon squares in the middle of the balsamic design and serve. This is a beauty everyone is going to love! Enjoy!
NOTES: This is such a delicious salad in the summer and it has a stunning presentation. All the elements work so well together and it is easy to assemble ahead of time so it is great for entertaining (it is also a show stopper!).
A couple of notes on the preparation.
1) Use a large cookie cutter so all the squares of watermelon are the same size. However, a sharp knife and a sharp eye will do the job too.
2) Toast your nuts (it does make a difference) then chop them small.
3) You can buy balsamic glaze now right at the grocery store but if you need to make your own, simple boil balsamic vinegar and a little sugar on the stove until it thickens and is syrupy. (a few minutes), Let cool and proceed. I’d start with 1/2 cup of balsamic and a teaspoon of sugar and reduce to about 1/4 cup in the boiling process.
4) You want your feta mix to be like a frosting so it is easy to spread on the watermelon. Therefore, when mixing it with your hand mixer, feel free to add more cream until you get the consistency you want. The cheese is salty so you want that black pepper to cut through the salt, so be sure to use it.
If you like Feta Cheese, be sure to try my Whipped Feta with Cucumbers recipe. Also, check out my other salads on my Soup and Salad page. Enjoy.
