Jesse challenged me to create a red, white, and blue recipe for the blog today. A lot of popular patriotic dishes served for July 4th are pies, cakes, and trifles with strawberries and blueberries, but I wanted to make a non-dessert with a different selection of foods. This is a variation on the recipe I included for watermelon in the July-August newsletter (which you can sign up for with that handy Quick Contact tab up on the right). Here's what you need:

 

• a pint of ripe blackberries
• small watermelon
• block of feta cheese

 

Start by cutting the watermelon into 3/4" cubes and the feta into 1/4" cubes. Spear a blackberry, feta cube, and watermelon cube onto a toothpick. You can stop there, or, if you're a foodie who likes words like "reduction" and "amuse bouche," you can top it with a sweet balsamic vinaigrette. It's easy:

 

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp brown sugar

 

Mix and stir or shake well to combine, making sure the sugar is dissolved. It will keep for awhile in the fridge if you have extra.

 

This is a really unexpected appetizer that is sure to be a smash hit. It plays with the sweetness of watermelon, tartness of blackberries, and saltiness of feta that tastes great together. The dressing adds an even more complex flavor, but it definitely isn't needed if you don't want to fuss with it. Jesse gave my answer to his challenge a thumbs up, and I hope you do too! Enjoy the fourth and all the good, fresh summer food it promises.