I love watermelon in a salad; it's great with cheese and nuts and I especially love this Watermelon Salad with Pecans and Gorgonzola Cheese. Sweet and savory alike, it's simply delicious.
It's finally late enough in the season to consider making this Watermelon Salad with Pecans and Gorgonzola Cheese.
While you can certainly purchase watermelon earlier but I've found it's best to wait for local melons or for those of us living at altitude in Colorado until the end of summer.
We hungrily await the amazing melons from our own Western Slope that come to our neck of the woods. Having a really red, juicy, and sweet watermelon makes all the difference.
I love those red, juicy slices but I also refuse to eat any until now. It's like tomatoes; you can find it out of season shipped to you from Mexico but it's not worth it.
I want a ripe, red, juicy watermelon with real flavor that's drips all over me and my kitchen, not a wimpy pink thing that's mealy and miserable. Are you with me?
This salad has long been a favorite; I've been making it at least once a summer ever since it appeared in the pages of Southern Living in 2008.
I may have made some minor changes over the years but the one thing I haven't done is to make it at a time that worked for sharing it here.
Sometimes I actually make dishes for friends and events and we just eat; no photos, no stories, just getting together around the table and enjoying some great food.
It was at a recent barbecue that I took this salad to where everyone raved about it so it moved into my 'must make' list for sharing it with readers.
It's simple too; watermelon is peeled and cut into 1/2″ squares, pecans are toasted and a dressing is made.
Putting it together is simply combining those ingredients with some hunks of Gorgonzola cheese and greens and you're set. Not a fan of Gorgonzola? Try feta cheese instead.
It's so fresh and flavorful that I could forgo having it on the side and simply make it my only course.
The dressing has some salt in it but I thought the salad needed a touch more, however, test it first and season it to fit your own needs.
The salad dressing calls for Pepper Jelly; I had a jar of this Harry and David Pepper and Onion Relish and thought it perfect but most stores carry the basic pepper jelly too so it's easy to find.
I made the salad yesterday right before lunch because I was concerned about the light for photos; the forecast was for some gloom.
Once done, I had a completed salad with no company to help me eat it. What do I do?
I put the word out on a Facebook page I made for my street; we plan neighborhood things there sure but it's also where you might get a notice that Barb has a salad or a cocktail...fun huh?
Five minutes later and two friends were joining me for a quick lunch!
More Watermelon from Creative Culinary!
Watermelon Recipes from Friends
PIN IT! 'Watermelon Salad with Toasted Pecans and Gorgonzola Cheese'
