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The heat wave broke yesterday in New York City. For the last six days we New Yorkers have been confined indoors, twiddling our thumbs, obsessively checking our social media sites, catching up on television and trying to keep from going stark raving mad. We ran our air conditioning on full blast, ate nothing but salads and pints of ice cream and dashed out only long enough to find an open fire hydrant. These guys were stuck inside a lot…

But even though we get a temporary reprieve from the heat, I think it’s fair to say we should all be bracing for another one soon. It’s best to be prepared with a whole on of eating options that don’t actually require a stove and come together quick. This salad fit the bill. It was inspired by a similar salad I had at a brunch at Nougatine, a Jean George restaurant where I met my elementary school principal turned dear friend a few weeks back. I have been obsessed ever since. Enjoy!

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Watermelon Feta Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Everything about this salad is hot weather friendly. All of the ingredients are ready to use – no prepping, washing or cooking required – and it makes a great lunch or quick dinner. Use any vinaigrette you like here – champagne or lemon poppy would be nice – but I am partial to Ina Garten’s balsamic vinaigrette. You all know how I feel about Ina.  Rinsing onion takes away some of its heat but maintains that pungent flavor. Active time: 10 minutes, cook time: 0 minutes, serves 2.

Dressing
1/4 cup good olive oil
11/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Salad
2 cups chopped watermelon
1 canned low-salt chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 small red onion, slivered and rinsed
one box pre-washed mixed greens 
1/4 cup roughly chopped feta, French is best
1/4 cup loosely packed, roughly torn parsley leaves 

Chop garlic very finely. Sprinkle half of salt over garlic and mash salt and garlic together with the side of your knife, making it into a paste. Add garlic, Dijon, balsamic, salt and pepper to a bowl and whisk to combine. Slowly drizzle in olive oil, whisking constantly. 

In a large bowl, add salad ingredients and toss to combine. Drizzle dressing over greens, season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.