On a steamy summer day in Vancouver there are few things more refreshing than a sweet, juicy, watermelon.

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On a steamy summer day in Vancouver, when appetites slacken, there are few things more refreshing than a sweet, juicy watermelon, and choosing a good one is a tactile experience.

First, make sure the melon is heavy for its size. Then examine the pale patch on the “resting side” and select one that’s more yellow than white, which indicates maturity. Finally, tap the melon and listen for a drum-like vibration. You may need to thump, buy and taste a few before you get a feel for this, but once you do, the sensation is easy to recognize.

Melon and feta are a favourite summer meze with ouzo. The Greek cheese is salty, moist and tangy, and adds a spark to salads of tomato, greens, cucumbers and watermelon. The word feta means “slice,” the form in which it’s typically served. Try to buy it from a store that keeps it in its brine, which helps preserve it. If your feta has no brine, you can make one at home by dissolving ¼ cup sea salt in 1 quart water.

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Tequila is my spirit of choice, and the One-Eyed Samurai is my new favourite summer cocktail.

Watermelon Salad with Pine Nuts, Feta & Basil

This refreshing salad lands on the table when watermelons get ripe and vanishes the moment they’re less-than-perfect.

1/4 lb (125 g) Greek feta cheese, chilled

6 whole leaves Greek basil or 3 regular basil leaves, torn into small pieces

1/4 cup (50 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 325 F. Spread nuts on baking sheet and toast until lightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Cut rind away from watermelon and cut flesh into 1-inch cubes. (There’s no need to remove seeds.)

Arrange melon attractively on a serving platter and crumble feta over it. Sprinkle on pine nuts and scatter basil over all. Drizzle with olive oil and serve immediately.

This complex, refreshing cocktail is made even better with a watermelon granite garnish. (Adapted from Vancouver Eats: Signature Recipes from the City’s Best Restaurants, by Joanne Sasvari, Figure 1, 2018.)

1. Make simple syrup: Combine 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring, until sugar is fully dissolved. Set aside to cool. (May be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.)

2. Puree the flesh of 1 large, seedless watermelon.

3. Make watermelon tequila: Combine 3 cups of the watermelon purée with 1 (750-mL) bottle blanco tequila in a large glass pitcher or jar and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours to infuse. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. (Watermelon tequila may be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.)

4. Meanwhile, make the granita: Strain remaining watermelon purée through a fine-mesh sieve and measure the juice. Combine the juice with simple syrup in a ration of 4 to 1. (For example, if you have 2 cups juice, add ½ cup simple syrup.) Pour mixture into a metal 9-by-13-inch baking pan and freeze for 2 hours, drawing a fork through the granita every 30 minutes to break it into crystals.

5. Mix cocktail: For each drink, in a cocktail shaker without ice, combine 1 oz watermelon tequila, 1 oz sake, 1 oz fresh lemon juice, 2 tsp simple syrup, 2 dashes orange blossom water and 1 large egg white. Shake vigorously to create a voluminous foam. Add ice and shake again. Strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with a spoonful of watermelon granita.

Chilled Watermelon & Cucumber Soup

This chili-spiked soup maintains its robust flavour thanks to ice cubes made from the soup itself. Grilled shrimp or melon makes a lovely garnish.

1 small seedless watermelon (to yield 1 pound flesh)

2 seedless cucumbers, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 piri-piri chili, minced (remove seeds for less heat)

2 tbsp (25 mL) extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Cut watermelon into chunks and discard rind. In a blender or food processor, combine melon, cucumbers, chili, garlic, lemon juice and oil. Process until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Fill one ice-cube tray with soup and freeze at least 4 hours. Chill remaining soup in refrigerator.

When ready to serve, ladle soup into 4 bowls and add the frozen cubes.

Kitchen Hack: How to Cube Watermelon

This nifty method is from Food & Wine’s “mad genius” Justin Chapple: Start with a wedge of melon. Hold the knife at the same angle as the wedge (cut-side up), and cut through until you hit the rind. Then, work your way down one side of the wedge, making cuts 1 inch apart. Flip and repeat on the other side. Turn the melon vertically and make the same width cuts, creating cubes. Scoop them out into a bowl with a spoon. You’ll find a video of the technique plus a sorbet recipe at foodandwine.com.

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