Watermelon and Black Olive Salad with Ricotta

, from Issue #46.
Photography by Manja Wachsmuth.
Watermelon and Black Olive Salad with Ricotta

Crisp refreshing watermelon works well in both savoury and sweet dishes. A touch of chilli in the dressing, salty olives and creamy ricotta make this a light but extremely tasty summer salad.

INGREDIENTS

800 grams watermelon, rind removed and cut into small wedges
200 grams firm ricotta, sliced, (I used Clevedon Valley Buffalo)
½ red onion, thinly sliced
5 cherry tomatoes, cut into wedges
3 radishes, cut into thin matchsticks
½ cup pitted black olives, sliced
small handful baby rocket leaves

Dressing
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ – 1 teaspoon harissa
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

METHOD

Dressing: Whisk all the ingredients in a bowl and season. Add harissa to taste.

Salad: Soak the onion in cold water for 10 minutes. Drain and squeeze dry in a clean tea towel.

Scatter a layer of onion, tomato, radishes and olives on a platter and drizzle with a little dressing. Arrange the watermelon wedges and ricotta on top, slightly overlapping. Scatter with the remaining ingredients, the rocket and dressing. Grind over black pepper and a pinch of sea salt. Serves 4-6

Cook’s tip: If firm ricotta is not available, spoon a softer style ricotta over the watermelon.