Grilled Watermelon Boosts Serotonin, Right?

A dish intended for the 4th of July I don't feel like celebrating

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Photo by Ian Hutchinson on Unsplash. Protesters gather at the United States Supreme Court after a draft leaks of the ruling that will overturn Roe v. Wade. May 3, 2022.

I intended to write another fun summer grilling post with a side or app to bring to 4th of July parties.

But you know what?

I’m not feeling especially patriotic.

It gets increasingly difficult to celebrate independence in America as human rights are gutted, and I continue to learn the depths of our ugly reality: the freedoms and equality my country claims to hold dear have only ever been offered to the few. The rose-colored glasses have been slowly coming off for years; now, they’re shattered under my foot.

In the last few weeks, the Supreme Court of the United States has taken a sledgehammer to the separation of church and state, both in schools and in citizens’ private lives.

Millions have lost the right to privacy and bodily autonomy.

The court has attacked indigenous sovereignty over tribal lands.

The attacks on LGBTQ+ rights are going to intensify.

I’m exhausted and angry.

I try to keep this newsletter fun, nostalgic, and informative. I’m struggling with that this week. I’m struggling with the pride I’ve always felt in my family’s immigration story and honoring the legacy of my grandparents through food. They loved being American. They came here for religious freedom and freedom from authoritarian rule. Yet, they likely wouldn’t agree with my rage over recent SCOTUS decisions.

At the same time, my deda is the reason I decided to play around with grilled watermelon this week. I’ve been missing him a lot. Picking out the perfect watermelon was a sport for him. We used to laugh watching him literally weigh his options and knock on the rind to “listen” for a good one. Apparently, there’s a method to this madness, as illustrated by one of my favorite TikTok creators:

@loshmi95Tips for good watermelon maj frends! #balkandad #balkan #novisad #srbija #watermelon #lubenica #fyp #fy #viral

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Playing in the kitchen feels a bit silly during such a dark time, but cooking brings me joy. It’s important to hold onto joy during hard times. I also have to remind myself that cooking is not trivial, and food is deeply political and complex.

So I’m sharing the results of my little experiment anyway: grilled watermelon topped with cucumber & radish salad.

Whether you’re American or not, feel like celebrating or not, I hope this brings you a serotonin boost and a moment of “Oh-my-gosh-that’s-delicious” refreshment.

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How to Make Grilled Watermelon Salad

Grilling watermelon caramelizes all the glorious sugar on the outside and gives the fruit a “meatier” quality. The crisp, acidic salad on top gives a nice contrast in flavor, texture, and temperature (but only if you serve it right away!) This is another “recipe” that doesn’t need exact measurements, except for the salad dressing. Feel free to make double the dressing if you’re feeding a larger number of people.

Ingredients:

• Watermelon

• 1 cucumber

• 1 bunch red or easter egg radishes

• Cotija cheese (optional)

• For the dressing:

  • juice of 2 limes

  • 1/2 tsp sea salt

  • 1/2 TB fresh cilantro, chopped

  • 1/2 tsp fresh chives, chopped

  • 1 tsp red wine vinegar

  • 1/2 tsp honey

Cut as much watermelon as you want into square slices half an inch thick. You want squares that you can eat in 1-2 bites. Set aside.

Cut the cucumber and radishes into matchsticks. The easiest way to do this with a cucumber is to cut it in half, then set the flat part on the cutting board. Slice lengthwise so you have quarter-inch thick slices. Then cut those slices like matchsticks. Here are some pics to help:

Do the same with the radishes, but skip cutting them in half. Combine cucumber and radishes in a small mixing bowl at a ratio of 3:1 cucumber to radish.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine lime juice, sea salt, cilantro, chives, red wine vinegar and honey with a fork or whisk. Pour over cucumber-radish mixture and toss, Set aside.

Fire up the grill to medium-high heat. Grill watermelon slices about 3 minutes on each side. The outside should caramelize and you should have some sexy grill marks.

When the watermelon is done, let cool for 3-5 minutes then serve with a generous heap of cucumber salad on top and cotija cheese, if desired.