“​​When one has tasted watermelon, he knows what the Angels eat.” —Mark Twain

​Have you ever wondered how to pick that perfect watermelon? Well, I have! Faced with a bin of green striped beauties, I never quite​ know​ where to start. ​L​et me share some tips with you that I recently discovered​, and then​ go and​make this delicious ​and refreshing ​Watermelon, ​Mint, ​Blueberry and Feta Salad​ — a great side dish for a hot summer day.

1. When viewing watermelons, the first thing that sticks out are those weird white spots. However, these spots​,​ called field spots​, are quite natural. The field spot is the area where the watermelon rested on the ground. While every watermelon has a field spot, the best watermelons have creamy-yellow or even orange-yellow spots. Go for the gold.

2. The webbing of a watermelon indicates the amount of times that bees touched the flower. The more pollination, the sweeter the watermelon is.

3. Watermelons have genders. The “girl” watermelons are more round and stout​ — these​are the sweeter ones. The male are oblong and tend to be more watery.

4. The ​best watermelons are average-sized. Don’t go for too small or too big, but just right.

5. The tail of a watermelon indicates its ripeness. Go for the watermelons that have dried tails for the best taste.​

​6. ​Tap the underbelly of the watermelon. A ripe one will have a deep hollow sound. Under-ripe or over-ripe melons will sound dull.​

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Blueberry, Watermelon, Feta and Mint Salad

SERVINGS 8servings CHANGE SERVING SIZE servings

COOK TIME

PREP TIME 20mins

READY IN 20mins

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup red onion finely diced (or shallot)
• 8 cups watermelon diced
• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves rough chopped, (stack the leaves, then roll them tightly and slice perpendicularly to create a "chiffonade" or thin strips)​
• 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and diced red onion.
2. Add the diced watermelon, blueberries, mint and feta cheese to bowl. Gently toss to coat.​ Serve immediately.