Tomato, Watermelon and Feta Salad

By Dianne_H

Ingredients

• "Basil Oil"
• leaves from 1 bunch of fresh basil
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• salt
• "Salad"
• 2 large, ripe tomatoes, cored and each cut into 4 thick slices
• seedless watermelon, cut into 12 thre inch long batons
• 8 about 8 oz firm sheeps milk feta cheese, cut into eight two inch long batons
• "Garish"
• 1/4 cup balsameic vinegar
• herbed fleu de sel for serving
• small, fresh basil leaves

Preparation

Step 1

For the Basil Oil: Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and have a bowl of ice water ready. Blanch and shock the basil. Drain well and squeeze the basil to remove as much water as possible. Transfer the basil to a blender. Add the olive oil and a generous sprinkling of salt, then blend to a smooth puree, about 1 minute. Strain the basil oil through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl. Set aside.

For the Salad: Place 3 slices of tomato on each of 4 salad plates. Top the tomato with 3 pieces of watermelon and 2 pieces of feta cheese per plate.

For the Garnish: Drizzle each salad with the vinegar and 1 tbsp of the basil oil. Place a small spoon filled with fleur de sel on the side of each plate. Garnish with the samll basil leaves and serve. (The remaining basil oil will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.)