Watermelon Feta Salad

East Passyunk Avenue is hosting “Flavors of the Avenue” this Saturday, an event where 25 restaurants will be handing out samples from their menus. I was given the opportunity to go to a media tasting for this event a few weeks back and have been unable to think about anything else since! I am SO excited for this event!

I must not be alone, pre-sale tickets are completely sold out, although some limited tickets will be available at the entrance to the tent on Saturday. During the media tasting, I was able to sample food from 7 of the participating restaurants.

We started off at Noir, where we were able to taste their Arancini (risotto balls with meat and cheese) and Watermelon & Feta Salad, along with some cocktails and some really yummy mussels.

I wanted to try to do my own simple version of this tasty salad, with a balsamic reduction, which I have below. But first, more photos from the event!

Next up was Will BYOB, which gave us a sample of the best Gazpacho I’ve ever had. I dream about this gazpacho. The spring green gazpacho was served with grapes, almonds and verjus.  Absolutely amazing!

We stopped in to Le Virtu next, which let us sample their Porchetta, or Roasted Berks County Pork Shoulder. The Porchetta was delicious, I especially loved the skin.

We then headed to Fuel for hummus, salmon canape, and mozzarella skewers. Fuel has posts all around the city so be sure to check them out.

Ristorante Tre Scalini served me my first taste of Tripe! Very exciting. Their version, Trippa in Umido, is served with stewed tomatoes and onions.

Ms. Goody Cupcake was the next stop where we were offered two cupcakes: Take Me Out to the Ball Park and Revenge of the Nerds. I swear the Take Me Out to the Ball Park cupcake (chocolate, beer, peanut butter core, salted peanuts) was baked specifically with me in mind. My goodness I loved this cupcake. The Revenge of the Nerds cupcake (Tropical cake with tropical buttercream, coated in Nerds candy) was equally delicious. Ms. Goody knows her cupcakes!

Last stop was Stogie Joe’s for a meatball sandwich. What an awesome way to end the night, with some seriously tasty comfort food. Despite being terribly full, I couldn’t stop eating this!

So on to the Watermelon & Feta Salad. This recipe is super simple but is beautiful enough to take center stage at a picnic or barbecue.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cubed watermelon
• 2 oz feta (I prefer French feta, in brine)
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar

Add the balsamic vinegar to a saute pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil over medium heat (this might take a while). When it begins to boil, lower the heat so that the vinegar is just simmering. Cook until the liquid reduces by more than half, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. It will turn into a thick syrup, the consistency of chocolate syrup.

Add the watermelon to a bowl. Crumble the feta and mix in with the watermelon. Drizzle with the balsamic reduction and serve.

I personally prefer French feta for this recipe. French feta is mild and creamy, with a little bit of a tangy taste to it which works nicely with the sweetness of the watermelon and the acidity of the balsamic vinegar.

Excuse the individual serving photos. I bought those spoons a while back and have yet to find a use for them. It makes for a good photo though, no? 🙂

If you do not have a chance to go to the Flavors of the Avenue this weekend, be sure to make an effort to check out one or all of the participating restaurants. East Passyunk’s food offerings are truly amazing, it’s a block of some of the best food in the city!

Other restaurants participating include: Belle Cakery, Birra, Cantina Los Caballitos, Chiarella’s, Da Vinci, El Zarape, Fond, Ippolito’s, Izumi, Lucky 13, Mamma Maria Ristorante, Marra’s, Noord, Paradiso, Plenty, Sophia’s, South Philly Bar & Grill, and Stateside.