Tomato Watermelon Salad with Toasted Almonds and Feta

This past weekend has been extremely busy and fun-filled here at Savoring Time in the Kitchen. We started out the holiday weekend hosting our gourmet group. There were several stand-out recipes, one of which was the tomato-watermelon salad.

It was a very warm evening and this salad was so refreshing - everyone loved it. Please excuse the bad photography but it was getting dark which is not a good thing for picture-taking!

Here are a few photos of our gourmet table just before our guests arrived. I have a tall plant stand that we place in the center of the table that I have strung with white mini-lights in order to light the table after dark:

I used fresh ferns on the table to help evoke a 'cool' feeling since it was a very warm Saturday night. My hostess gifts to our friends were fresh basil plants in colorful take-out containers.

Tomato-Watermelon Salad with Toasted Almonds and Feta

Adapted from Bon Appetit - August, 2006
Printable Recipe

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings

8 cups 1 1/4-inch chunks seedless watermelon (about 6 pounds)
3 pounds ripe tomatoes (preferably heirloom) in assorted colors, cored, cut into 1 1/4-inch chunks (about 6 cups)
1 teaspoon (or more) fleur de sel or coarse kosher salt
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons chopped assorted fresh herbs (such as dill, basil, and mint)
6 cups mixed greens
1 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 5 ounces)
1/2 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted

Combine melon and tomatoes in large bowl. Add 4 tablespoons oil, vinegar, and herbs to melon mixture. Season to taste with pepper and fleur de sel just before serving to avoid drawing out too much moisture from the melon.

Toss greens in medium bowl with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and divide among plates. Top with melon salad; sprinkle with feta cheese and toasted almonds and serve.