Neil Patrick Harris & David Burtka: Watermelon Salad

Clean Plate Club

David is an actor and a chef! And Neil is also an actor… a singer and a magician! This recipe is from David’s book Life Is a Party: Deliciously Doable Recipes to Make Every Day a Celebration.

Watermelon Salad with Roasted Tomato Oil

Serves 6

Kitchen Tip: Chop your onions last to keep their flavor separate from the watermelon.

For the Salad:

4 cups cut watermelon

1 softball-sized jicama, peeled and cut (2 cups)

6 sprigs fresh mint, roughly chopped

1/4 cup roasted pistachios, roughly chopped

4 ounces feta cheese, cut into ½-inch dice

1/3 cup finely sliced red onion

1/4 cup Roasted Tomato Oil, if using, or 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1. Make the salad: Gently toss the watermelon, jicama, mint, pistachios, feta, and red onion in a large bowl and arrange on a large platter.

2. Whisk together the roasted tomato oil, vinegar, and salt in a small bowl.

3. Drizzle the dressing over the watermelon salad before serving.

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For the roasted tomato oil: (this makes twice the amount of what you need)

1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved

½ cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons

½ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 300ºF. Toss the cherry tomatoes with salt and 2 tablespoons olive oil and spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 1 hour.

Allow the tomatoes to cool slightly, then puree in a blender with remaining ½ cup olive oil until thick and emulsified, 30 seconds.

Strain through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing down on the mixture to extract as much oil as possible (you should have about ½ cup of roasted tomato oil; oil can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week).

This episode is brought to you by Guidecraft. Makers of the original Kitchen Helper Step Stool.

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