Watermelon Tomato Salad

“It’s the watermelon man!” We would run from the swing or teeter totter to the screen door and shout the news to Mom or Dad, if he was not at work, and then run back to gaze in wonder at the huge watermelons piled high in the truck. We would look at the license plate to learn where the watermelons came from.

The first watermelons of the season were from Texas, and the drivers usually wore cowboy boots. Then came melons from Missouri with drivers who talked funny but wore regular work boots. Later the watermelon trucks came from Iowa and finally from Minnesota. They were driven by men who looked and talked pretty much like us.

The two things they had in common were the trucks–old and dusty green, gray or tan vehicles with wooden sides–and the watermelons. They were big green-striped melons sometimes packed in straw and other times just piled in the truck box.

As I recall, the melons usually cost one dollar. That sounds very cheap today, but a dollar in the 1950’s was worth over eight dollars in today’s money. Considering that we can buy pretty good-sized watermelons today for a lot less than eight dollars, those melons off the truck were expensive, but they had been trucked to our door from faraway places which made them extra special.

After Mom or Dad had agreed with the man on the melon we wanted, money exchanged hands. Then the wash boiler was put in a shady spot by the back door and filled with enough cold water to cover the melon. Sometimes we would drive into town for a block of ice and invite friends or neighbors over for a slice of cold watermelon.

I remember one time when we invited a family with several children our age that we kids had a great time seeing who could spit seeds the farthest from the front porch. I wish I could say that I won, but there was a girl with a rocket gun concealed in her mouth. Today I appreciate seedless watermelons but children miss an important part of growing up if they don’t have an occasional seed spitting contest.

Seedless watermelons make it simple to put together this salad that my sister Barb made for one of our family get togethers a few years ago. She found it in a magazine, decided it looked good and made the full recipe, which called for ten cups of watermelon and two pints of tomatoes. Unless you are making salad for a big group, use the quantities below. You will have enough salad for eight to ten people.

INGREDIENTS:

5 cups cubed seedless watermelon
2 cups grape tomatoes
1 medium red onion (3 to 3 1/2 inch diameter)
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
2 T lime juice

PROCEDURE:

Cut the watermelon in half, then cut 3/4 inch slices. Remove the rind and white flesh and dice the pink flesh into 3/4 inch cubes. Peel and chop the onion medium fine and wash the tomatoes. Wash and mince the parsley and basil. Juice a lime or two or measure two tablespoons of lime juice into a small bowl.

In a large bowl, combine the watermelon, tomatoes, and onion. To make the dressing, mix the parsley and basil with the lime juice in the small bowl.  Pour the dressing over the watermelon, tomatoes and onion and toss gently, being careful to avoid crushing the watermelon cubes.

Refrigerate at least an hour before serving.

NOTES: Barb has made this salad more often than I. Here are the tips from an experienced salad maker who worked as the salad girl at The Turk’s Inn north of Hayward when she was in high school. If you ever dined at The Turk’s, you will understand that Barb learned how to make delicious salads, and this is one.

Any small tomato (pear or cherry, for instance) can be used.  However, the tomatoes need to be whole, not sliced. Red onion works best, but another type could be used. Fresh parsley and basil are musts.  Dried versions lead to disaster!

Seafood Fettuccine

The next time you enjoy a plate of Fettuccine Alfredo, thank Alfredo Di Lelio who created this Italian classic for customers at his restaurant in Rome. Like many works of genius, Fettuccine Alfredo is remarkably simple: Make a sauce of butter, cream, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and mix with cooked fettuccine noodles.

Versions of this simple recipe are available in restaurants around the world. I have enjoyed Fettuccine Alfredo in many of them, and some versions were better than others, but I have never found one that I did not like–clearly not the observation of a gourmet but a statement of fact.

Here is a really simple way to make Fettuccine Alfredo with imitation seafood that we (and lots of friends) think tastes pretty good. A real chef might frown at this recipe, since the sauce ingredients are mixed directly with the pasta rather than being cooked separately and added to the noodles just before serving. A lazy cook like me, however, appreciates the fact that the way I make this dish takes less time and uses one less pan than the traditional method.

Since many versions of Fettuccine Alfredo were too rich for my tastes, I reduced the amount of butter and used half and half instead of whipping cream. We like the results and hope that you try it.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black or white Pepper
2 cups half and half
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus more to pass at table
12 ounce package Imitation crab or lobster
12 ounce package fettuccine

PROCEDURE:

Bring the butter to room temperature. Put the water on to boil in a large pot for the fettuccine. Break or cut the seafood into bite size pieces and grate the cheese. If you like, this is a good time to make a simple garden salad or get the vegetables ready.

Warm the half and half in a measuring cup in the microwave. Cook the fettuccine just barely to al dente, following the directions on the package. Drain and return it to the pot and add the butter. Turn the heat to very low and stir the pasta to melt the butter and coat the noodles. Add the half and half and continue stirring.

Stir in the Parmesan cheese, add the imitation seafood pieces, salt and pepper and continue stirring for a minute to mix with the sauce and make certain everything is warm. If the sauce is too thick, add some milk or half and half. Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Serve with a garden salad, crusty bread and butter and a light white wine. Steamed broccoli or green beans also go well as a vegetable with this dish. Pass the Parmesan grater so guests may add a little more cheese if they want.

It’s not fancy, but it’s good. And only one pot!

NOTE: It is vital that the Parmesan cheese be freshly grated. Period. The coarsely grated Parmesan sold in the refrigerated section of your local supermarket might be okay, but I have not tried it. Since we generally have imitation seafood in the freezer, I defrost it in the microwave while the pasta is cooking. Try to have it at or near room temperature when you add it to the noodles.

VARIATIONS: Use shrimp instead of or in addition to the imitation seafood.