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Watermelon, blackberry, lime and mint.

Orange, where are you? Don’t be shy. This ensemble wouldn’t be without you.

Watermelon Blackberry Summer Salad. Vivid, beaming, brilliant on your own, then together in health and harmony of others. Proud, you should be. One look and you put the beat in my step.

Is there blue in your skies? We had a string of torrential rain/hail with lightning and ground shaking thunder. The bigger the storm, the happier we are.

We’re missing a few now, as we’re dotting the map in celebration of my mom’s birthday, then down the coast through Monterey, onto Carmel (cutest, quaintest ever, have you been?), Big Sur (favorite drive! if you haven’t, one of the best in California), then up to Santa Cruz (Dave’s site visit) and a quick run by Capitola (Pizza My Heart – favorite pizza still removed from the menu : /).

These fresh berry pictures are brought to you by cross legged road tripper with windshield framing misty overcast hanging a mysterious ocean. Beauty — a wonder of layers, textures and shades.

Fresh Ingredients

Watermelon – choose a sweet, fresh, juicy one! How? First things first. My momma tells me to buy in season. Make sure there’s heft to that bad boy, meaning it’s juicy inside. Look for a yellow/light spot on the outside. This is where the melon laid on the ground, the bigger the spot, the longer it ripened. Give it a thump, hooray for a deep hollow sound. If you hear a thud, it’s a dud. Don’t forget to look for a dried, yellow/brown stem. And there you have a sweet, juicy, vibrant red watermelon!

Blackberries – look for plump, juicy, ripe blackberries. Flip the containers and scan side to side because hiding are often smashed or moldy berries.

Fresh Mint – For one mini watermelon, I use ten leaves varying in size from small to medium (or five big). Does ten seem a lot or a little? If a lot, start low, then add more. I think ten gives a mild tipping toward medium mint flavor.

Lime/Orange – lime adds fresh and zing, while orange freshens but also brings the perfect amount of sweet to its mint/lime counterparts.

How to Cut a Watermelon in Cubes

I searched and tried two watermelon, two ways. They’re both efficient for cutting heavy cylindrical fruit (without fingers) but I ended preferring the first –

Uno

Dos

I got really precise with the cubes, cutting sides and included only those deemed “cube” while eating or saving “scrape” for later. As it turns out, Rainey’s tenth year is highlighted by watermelon cRaZY.

Serve Fresh or Make Ahead

When you’re planning to serve this summer salad is important.

Serve Fresh – Zest lime, orange, and their juice then add to a small bowl with rubbed mint. Let this sit while cutting the watermelon. To the watermelon, gently toss blackberries and the juice/mint mixture. Chill and serve. The juice, zest and mint should be added about an hour before serving.

Make Ahead – Watermelon can be cut and stored ahead of time. About an hour before serving — wash, dry, then stack mint leaves from largest to smallest and chiffonade. Add zest lime, orange, and their juice to a small bowl. This isn’t entirely necessary, but I like to kind of rub the mint leaves when adding with the juice. In my mind this action unleashes mint in all its mint glory! But not in an overwhelm sort of way. To the watermelon, gently toss blackberries and the juice/mint mixture.

Chill, serve, love. 

You’re one in a melon, berry mint.

Summer love.

Citrus fresh, berry delight.

Blasted Warning!

May I advise against a wild hair and adding a dash, then a second dash of cinnamon. Perfect summer salad turns bathroom disinfectant out the fridge. After sitting counter-side (debating if I can actually waste food), mellows into an oddly able to eat but what we once had is known.