Watermelons are amazing right now. All the melons at the farmers’ markets are. I love Two Happy Children for their watermelons, both yellow and red, as well as amazing white and orange fleshed melons, and Farmer John of Engel Farms has a variety of melons too and he calls each one something different every time. And while Lightsey Farms only has a small stock of them, they are as unreal as their figs and peaches. I could eat melon all day long.

There are a plethora of variations of this watermelon salad: with arugula, with chili, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, all watermelon, with tomatoes, without tomatoes, with sliced onion, without… you get the picture. Here is a basic version of one of my favorite summertime salads. Mix it up, change it up, it’s a keeper.

Watermelon, Tomato, Feta, and Herb Salad
4 cups watermelon
1-1 1/2 cup tomatoes (cherry tomatoes or larger tomatoes)
1/4 cup feta cheese
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
handful each of mint and/or basil
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
optional: 1 small serrano pepper, seeds removed, roughly chopped

Cut the watermelon into large bite-sized chunks. Place in a large serving bowl. If using cherry tomatoes, slice in half. If using larger tomatoes (make sure you have a sweet and juicy variety), slice into quarters or eighths and place on top and around the watermelon.

Crumble the feta all over the top. Pour the vinegar and oil over the fruit (add more to taste). Tear the herbs into small pieces and sprinkle over the salad. Finally add the salt, pepper, and chili to taste. Serve as is or toss before serving. If you choose to mix the salad, know that it isn’t nearly as pretty of a presentation.