watermelon and feta

Over the past few weeks, I have been embracing fall's late arrival.  The second football season started, I was ready to bust out all of my boots, scarves, light sweaters, and drink hot coffee every single morning.  But as ready as I've been for fall, I felt that the beloved summer season deserved one last hurrah.  

sunday brunch on the patio (also, look how adorable my pup is)

baby watermelons at trader joe's

You can imagine my excitement when I saw these babies at Trader Joe's last week (for you non-Angelenos, this is the cheapest and best grocery store in L.A., in my opinion).  Of course I'm a big fan of slicing them up and eating them right away, but this week I decided to be a bit more creative.  A friend told me that she had a salad once that was topped with watermelon and feta, so I decided to create my own version.  All you need is a few ingredients, and it's super easy.

What you'll need:
-your choice of greens
-1/4 of a baby watermelon (this was a good ratio for me--feel free to put as much or as little as you like)
-feta cheese
-roasted/salted pecans (candied walnuts would be another good option)
-dressing of your choice

Arrange the greens in a bowl and set aside.  Then, slice up the watermelon.  I find it's easiest to cut straight down, to where your slices are shaped like triangles.  From there, separate the rind from the fruit by simply cutting it off.  Then chop the watermelon into cubes.

Put the watermelon in the bowl, and then sprinkle in some feta and pecans.

Top your salad off with a dressing of your choice.  I opted for a red wine vinaigrette, which added a subtle tanginess to the salad.  I believe raspberry vinaigrette would be a great choice as well.

salad w/ watermelon, feta, roasted pecans, and red wine vinaigrette

To be honest, normally I'm not a salad kind of girl, but I have to say I was very impressed with the end result.  If you love watermelon and feta, like I do, be prepared for your taste buds to explode.  Bon appetit!