Summer Recipe Series
Charred Corn and Watermelon Salad with Feta and Lime
This is the dish that disappears first at every backyard barbecue we bring it to. Sweet corn straight off the grill, cold watermelon, salty feta, and a squeeze of lime. It looks like summer in a bowl, it feeds a crowd, and every bit of the prep happens on your cutting board while the grill does the easy part.
Ingredients
- 4 ears of sweet corn, husked
- 4 cups seedless watermelon, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
- 1 English cucumber, quartered lengthwise and sliced
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely minced
- 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 6 oz feta, crumbled
- 1 cup fresh mint and basil leaves, roughly chopped
- Juice and zest of 2 limes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the corn
- Flaky salt and cracked black pepper
Watermelon rind is slick and tough, and a straight edge wants to skate across it before it bites. Serrations are the answer. The YARI SERIES 9-Inch Bread Knife pierces the skin instantly and its saw-like teeth pull through the flesh with almost no downward pressure, so your cubes come out clean instead of crushed. The full-tang, 67-layer X-7 Damascus steel blade is hand sharpened, and the 9-inch length spans a whole melon in a single stroke.
Those same serrations glide through the cucumber and shave the corn off the cob without tearing a single kernel. One knife carries this entire recipe from rind to serving bowl.
Instructions
- Preheat your grill to medium high. Rub the corn lightly with olive oil.
- Grill the corn, turning every few minutes, until you see deep golden char in spots, about 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
- While the corn cools, break down the watermelon. Slice off both ends so it sits flat, halve it, then cut into planks and cube. Use a gentle sawing motion and let the serrations do the work rather than pressing down. Keep the cubes chilled until you assemble.
- Stand each ear of corn on its flat end and stroke the kernels off from top to bottom. The serrated edge grabs the base of each row cleanly, and your guiding hand stays well above the blade.
- Prep the rest: slice the cucumber, mince the jalapeño, shave the red onion thin, and chop the herbs last so they stay bright.
- In a large serving bowl, whisk the lime juice, zest, and olive oil with a good pinch of salt.
- Add the watermelon, corn, cucumber, jalapeño, and onion. Toss gently so the melon stays intact.
- Finish with the feta, herbs, flaky salt, and black pepper right before serving.
Make it ahead
You can grill the corn and cut everything the morning of your barbecue. Keep the components in separate containers in the fridge and toss it all together about 15 minutes before guests arrive. The lime dressing wakes everything up, and the salad holds beautifully on a picnic table for a couple of hours.
One more thing. Rinse and dry your blade as soon as you finish with the watermelon. Fruit acids are gentle, but a clean, dry knife stays sharper longer, and this one deserves the care.