Weird Recipe Wednesday: Grilled Watermelon Salsa

Weird Recipe Wednesday: Because some recipes are so weird I just HAVE to try them.  My curiosity always gets the better of me.

It wouldn't be summer without bright, juicy watermelon and the charred flavors of grilling.  Watermelon hits the grill in this recipe before finding it's way into a summer salsa.  

 Crisp watermelon and cool cucumber add the perfect crunch to this salsa as does the red onion.  Acidity from the tomatoes is balanced by sweet juicy melon and fresh lime juice.  Grilled jalapeno lends spicy notes, but bright citrus from the lime and sweetness from the melon prevent the salsa from being too hot.

I'm not a huge cilantro fan, so I opted for fresh basil.  Oddly enough, I actually wish I had tried this with cilantro instead.  Basil works well here, but using cilantro will give you a more traditional fresh salsa flavor.  I was hoping for a smokey flavor burst from the grilled watermelon and jalapeno.  While the grilled watermelon is a fun twist, it didn't add much grilled flavor.  I love the idea of watermelon in salsa, but likely won't bother with the grilling step next time.  Either way, this salsa is bright, juicy and flavorful. It's a nice chance of pace from your traditional salsa and the perfect way to celebrate the last days of summer.  

Grilled Watermelon Salsa
adapted from Fine Cooking

Ingredients:
3 to 4 1-inch thick slices seedless watermelon (enough to make 2 cups diced)
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded
2 cups diced fresh tomatoes
2 cups cups seeded diced cucumber
1/4 cup minced red onion
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
juice of 1/2 lime
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:
* Grill watermelon slices over medium-high heat 2 to 3 minutes per side or just until grill marks appear. Grill jalapeno over medium-high heat until skin is blistered and slightly charred.
* When cool enough to handle, dice watermelon and finely chop jalapeno.
* In a large bowl combine watermelon, jalapeno, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, basil and lime juice. Refrigerate 4 hours to allow flavors to develop.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Food for Thought: "Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it." -Anne of Green Gables