Simply sublime

Watermelon shines in pared-down summer salad

by Ari LeVaux

Imet my first watermelon salad at The Covington restaurant in Edgartown, Mass. The dish consisted of watermelon cubes tossed into a pile of salad greens alongside turnip shavings, pickled scapes, feta cheese and balsamic vinegar. The juicy red chunks did the job normally reserved for tomatoes and availed themselves beautifully. Their sweet acids bent the salad around them, and a leafy salad with watermelon metamorphosed into watermelon salad with leaves. Refreshing and sweet, the salad seemed to make me hungrier the more I ate.

A few minutes later in the hotel lobby, I gushed about the joys of watermelon in salad to whomever would listen. A receptionist named Shania was not impressed. “We put that stuff in salad all the time.” She’s from the hills of Jamaica, a land of yearround gardens and daily salads. She spoke with authority on vegetables but didn’t dwell in specifics.

“If it can grow in the back yard, it’s going in,” Shania said, when I asked her what else goes into a Jamaican watermelon salad. The only ingredient she named as unfit for watermelon salad was tomatoes. They can be too bossy, she explained, and take over the flavor. As for the watermelon, the only guidance she offered was to cut the chunks small. “If the pieces are too big, people will pick them out and eat them.”

The one aspect where Shania got very specific was the dressing. It was nothing more than a simple mix of brown sugar and cheap white vinegar. I was baffled that the dressing and the salad as a whole contained neither salt nor oil. Most chefs and food processors would agree that salt and fat are of paramount importance to creating flavor and that food without these key ingredients will taste bland. But she insisted. “In Jamaica, people can’t afford oil,” she said. And if you do have oil, she added, you should save it in case they have to fry a fish. The problem with trying to make this dressing in the U.S., she says, is that “the brown sugar here isn’t right. It clumps together.” I explained that American brown sugar is simply white sugar to which molasses has been added. I found some chunks of evaporated cane juice from a local specialty store and submitted them. She approved.

So I mixed a few chunks of sugar into some cheap white vinegar and used it to dress a salad of lettuce, onion and watermelon.

Invigorating, thirst-quenching and light, this salad was satisfying on every level. The watermelon washed the leaves, helping them go down effortlessly.

I realized that my original watermelon salad at The Covington similarly did not contain oil or salt, although the crumbled feta provided both salt and fat. But that addition, or the turnip shavings and pickled scapes, did not elevate the salad above the simple version inspired by the backyard salads from the hills of Jamaica. You don’t need to be fancy with watermelon salad. Just stay out of the way, and let the ingredients speak for themselves.

Watermelon Salad

In essence, the core of this recipe is to add watermelon to salad, with Shania’s vinegar and sugar dressing. Feel free to adjust by adding anything that grows in the back yard. Except tomatoes.

½ cup white vinegar

3 tablespoons proper brown sugar

4 cups salad greens

1 clove garlic, minced

½ cup minced red onion

2 cups 1/2-inch cubed watermelon

Stir the sugar in the vinegar. Wash, dry and trim the greens. Add the onion and garlic, and toss. Add the watermelon chunks and the dressing. Toss again, and serve.

Thursday29

Quick & Dirty Downtown Walking Tour, 10 a.m., Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Depot.

Gary Walker plays, 10 a.m.-12 noon, Jean-Pierre Bakery & Restaurant, 601 Main Ave.

Six Dollar String Band plays, 4 p.m., Purgatory Resort.

Green Drinks, 5 p.m., 11th St. Station.

Vintage Brew plays, 5 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard Ave.

Ali McGuirk plays, 5:30 p.m., Buckley Park.

Ben Gibson plays, 5:30 p.m., Public House 701, 701 E. 2nd Ave.

Thursday Night Sitting Group, 5:30-6:15 p.m., Durango Dharma Center, 1800 E. 3rd Ave, Suite 109.

Andrew Schuhmann plays, 6 p.m., James Ranch, 33846 Highway 550.

Ava Swan plays, 6 p.m., Durango Hot Springs.

Bluegrass jam, 6 p.m., weekly, Durango Beer & Ice, 3000 Main Ave. All levels welcome.

Live music, 6-9 p.m., 11th St. Station.

Jeff Solon Jazz Duo play, 6-8 p.m., Lola’s Place, 725 E. 2nd Ave.

Live music, 6-9 p.m., The Office & Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave.

Trivia Night, 6:30 p.m., Powerhouse Science Center, 1330 Camino del Rio.

Play Reading: “Heartbeat,” 7:30 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.

Hauntings & History Ghost Tour, 8 p.m., Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Depot.

Friday30 iAM Music Fest, 5 p.m., Fenceline Cider.

San Juan Nature Hike, 9 a.m., Haviland Lake. Hosted by San Juan Mountains Association.

Quick & Dirty Downtown Walking Tour, 10 a.m., Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Depot.

Open Meditation, 12 noon-1 p.m., Durango Dharma Center, 1800 E. 3rd Ave, Suite 109.

Bo Depena plays, 6 p.m., Fire Fox Farms, Ignacio.

Live music, 6-9 p.m., The Office & Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave.

Live music, 7-10 p.m., 11th St. Station.

Play Reading: “Dr. Arthur Goldman’s Birthday Party,” 7:30 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.

The Burroughs play, doors at 7 p.m., Animas City Theatre.

Hauntings & History Ghost Tour, 8 p.m., Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Depot.

Saturday01

Durango Farmers Market, 8 a.m., TBK Bank parking lot, 259 W. 9th St.

Quick & Dirty Downtown Walking Tour, 10 a.m., Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Depot.

Taste of Independence & Pie Eating Contest, 12 noon-3 p.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds, 2500 Main Ave.

Play Reading: “Dr. Arthur Goldman’s Birthday Party,” 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. www.durangoplayfest.org iAM Music Fest, 3 p.m., Fenceline Cider.

Watermelon Eating Contest, 4 p.m., 11th St. Station.

Ozomatli plays KSUT’s Party in the Park, 5 p.m., Buckley Park. www.ksut.org

Andrew and the Middlemen play, 5:30 p.m., Columbine Roadhouse, Silverton.

Ben Gibson plays, 5:30 p.m., The Office, 699 Main Ave.

Live music, 6-9 p.m., Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave.

Community Yoga, 6-7 p.m., Yoga Durango, 1485 Florida Rd. Donations accepted.

Los Mocos, Mommy Milkers, Shots of Pepito and American Businessmen play, 7:30 p.m., The Hive, 1150 Main Ave.

Play Reading: “237 Virginia Avenue,” 7:30 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave.

Gasoline Lollipops and Dreem Machine play, 8 p.m., Animas City Theatre.

Hauntings & History Ghost Tour, 8 p.m., Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Depot.

Live music and Silent Disco, 9 p.m., 11th St. Station.

Sunday02

Durango Flea Market, 8 a.m., La Plata County Fairgrounds, 2500 Main Ave.

Veterans Benefit Breakfast, 9 a.m., VFW Post 4031, 1550 Main Ave.

Play Reading: “Heartbeat,” 11 a.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. www.durangoplayfest.org

Vinyl Sundaze, 12 noon, Lola’s Place, 725 E. 2nd Ave. Cristen Alexandria spinning vinyl all Sunday afternoon.

Reed and Spencer play, 2-5 p.m., Weminuche Woodfire Grill, Vallecito.

Play Reading: “237 Virginia Avenue,” 2 p.m., Durango Arts Center, 802 E. 2nd Ave. www.durangoplayfest.org

Feed the People! free mutual aid meal & gear drive for homeless community members, every Sunday, 2 p.m., Buckley Park.

Picnic in the Park, 3 p.m., Buckley Park. Live music by Chad & Gabrielle. Presented by Community Wellness Center.

Independence Day Ice Cream Social, 5 p.m., VFW Post 4031, 1550 Main Ave.

Live music, 6-9 p.m., The Office & Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave.

Sunday Funday, 6 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Southwest Civic Winds Jazz Orchestra presents “Big Band Holiday,” 6:30 p.m., Rotary Park.

Monday03

Quick & Dirty Downtown Walking Tour, 10 a.m., Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Depot.

Apple Pie Baking Contest, 3 p.m., EsoTerra Ciderworks, 558 Main Ave.

Happy Hour Yoga, 5:30 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St.

Live music, 6-9 p.m., The Office & Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave.

Acrobatics and Movie in the Park, featuring “The Sandlot,” 7 p.m.; film at 9 p.m. Buckley Park.

Sol Chase plays, 7 p.m., The Hive, 1150 Main Ave.

Comedy Showcase, 7:30 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Tuesday04

Rotary Gourmet Breakfast, 7:30-10:30 a.m., Rotary Park. For advance tickets, go to rotarybreakfast.square.site

Freedom 5k Run, Stroll & Walk, 9 a.m., Rotary Park. Check-in 8:15-8:45 a.m.

Southwest Civic Winds Patriotic Concert 9:15 a.m., Rotary Park.

Fourth of July Picnic & Celebration, 12 noon –4:30 p.m., Buckley Park. Food and beer by Ska Brewing and Steamworks, live music and children’s activites.

The Buzz and Leadville Cherokee play, 12 noon, Durango Hot Springs.

Stars & Stripes Parade, 5 p.m., downtown Durango.

Ben Gibson Band plays, 6 p.m., Gazpacho’s, 431 E. 2nd Ave.

100 Year Flood plays, 6-10 p.m., Balcony Bar & Grill, 600 Main Ave.

Live music, 6-8 p.m., Lola’s Place, 725 E. 2nd Ave.

Blue Moon Ramblers play, 6 p.m., James Ranch, 33846 Highway 550.

Live music, 6-9 p.m., The Office & Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave.

Street Dance featuring Six Dollar String Band and Desert Child, 6:30-10 p.m. Also food, beer and kids activities, Transit Center, 250 W. 8th St.

Open Mic Night, 7 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Drone Show, 9 p.m., Transit Center, 250 W. 8th St.

Wednesday05

Restorative Yoga for Cancer, 9:30-10:45 a.m., no cost for cancer patients, post-treatment survivors and caregivers, Smiley Building, 1309 E. 3rd Ave. Register at cancersupportswco.org/calendar

Quick & Dirty Downtown Walking Tour, 10 a.m., Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Depot.

Live music, 6-9 p.m., The Office & Diamond Belle, 699 Main Ave.

Walking Meditation Instruction and Practice, 6:30-7:15 p.m., Claire Viles Park, durangodharmacenter.org

Geeks Who Drink Trivia, 8 p.m., The Roost, 128 E. College Dr.

Karaoke Roulette, 8 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Ongoing

“Pterosaurs: Ancient Rulers of the Sky,” 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Powerhouse Science Center, 1330 Camino del Rio. Exhibit runs until Sept. 17.

The Hive Indoor Skate Park, open skate and skate lessons. For schedule and waiver, go to www.thehivedgo.org

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