Watermelon - Retro Food For Modern Times

09
Sep
2023

August 2003 – Summer

categories: 20 Years Ago Today, Chicken, Prawns, Vodka, Watermelon

Summer Lovin’ had me a blast! Hello, retro food lovers! Today as you may have guessed from the header and my musical intro we are taking a tour back to August 2003 via Australian Table. The aim is to see if that magazine can provide us with a super summer feast!

Now I know that some of you might be thinking…what’s hard about that? Surely all mags, twenty years ago would be showing seasonal recipes.. Well, don’t forget readers that in Australia is it winter! Now it may surprise some of you but in the south of Australia, where I live it gets cold! Not Canada cold or Northern European cold, but definitely cold enough for this season to be recognisably winter. The magazine cover promises Shepherd’s Pie, Bangers and Mash, Beef Stroganoff and Roast Chicken. Will we be able to find some summery food in the midst of this hearty winter fare?

First, to put us in the mood let’s see what was on the pop culture in August 2003! The Da Vinci Code was still topping the book charts, S.W.A.T was killing it at the box office and Breathe by Sean Paul featuring Blu Cantrell was the number 1 song.

The Menu – August 2003

Chargrilled Prawns with Coriander and Lime

For me, the best summer food is eaten outdoors so these prawns, which would be amazing cooked on the BBQ were my choice of a starter.

The marinated prawns were super delicious! I did not like the dressing and, come summer when I make these on the barbie I will leave the dressing out completely. Whilst I don’t mind sherry as a drink I felt it gave the dressing on what was a very fresh and lively dish a kind of fusty taste which I found unpleasant. If you want to try it with the dressing, I would suggest serving it on the side!

Chargrilled Prawns Recipe

Satay Chicken Skewers

Another dish which would be ideal cooked on the BBQ. I love a chicken satay and this one is super easy because it uses a bought satay sauce!

I served this with a cucumber and red onion salad, which is, my Malaysian friends tell me, a traditional accompaniment to Chicken satay. You could also, of course serve rice or noodles with the chicken satay skewers as well.

Perfectly grilled chicken, dipped in a satay sauce with some salad! Heaven on a stick!

Satay Chicken Recipe

Ice Cream with Rocky Road Sauce

I didn’t have time to make this due to holidays, Pieathalon, work, cooking for our Foodies Cookbook club, a date with my mum to see A Haunting In Venice all of which amounts to life in general. However, it’s a really simple recipe which I am sure tastes absolutely delicious! Please let me know if you give it a try!

Watermelon and Vodka Cocktail

This cocktail was pretty much identical to this one that I made back in February.

My Nigella Moment – Thai Beef Noodles

For first-time readers, this refers to the moment at the end of Nigella Lawson’s cooking shows when she sneaks back to the fridge to have another bite of something delicious. In the context of these Twenty Years Ago posts, it is something contained in the magazine that does not fit with the overall menu theme but I’m sneaking it in either because I made it and it was really good, or I just didn’t have time to make it but it was one of the most appetising things in the mag!

This time round it was some Thai beef noodles. I’m hoping that sherry will redeem itself in this recipe as it sure didn’t work in the prawns! These look delicious and fun!

Australian Table was able to dish up a lovely summery meal despite being an issue from the middle of winter! The prawns and satay were also nice in winter and were lovely reminders that summer is on it’s way!

11
Feb
2023

Girl’s Night – February 2003

categories: 20 Years Ago Today, Cocktail, Duck, Fish, Magazines, Tuna, Vodka, Watermelon

Hello Friends! This week we are stepping back in time to February 2003 via Delicious magazine. It just so happened that the topic that came up in my random generator was Girl’s Night. So it seemed like a perfect opportunity to tie this into Galantine’s Day.

Before we get into that, let’s set the scene for February 2003. The month started with “Beautiful” by Christina Aguilera topping the charts. This was replaced by Avril Lavigne with “Im with you” for the remainder of the month. Number one in the box office was “How to Lose A Guy in Ten Days” and the best-selling book this week was The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.

My menu has somewhat of a pink theme which seems fitting for a Girl’s night but the content is definitely adult, starting with a watermelon vodka cocktail!

Watermelon Vodka Cocktail

This was so simple! I added a little squeeze of lime into the watermelon and vodka mix as I felt it was a bit too sweet / one note without it. It was super refreshing and made the most of our lovely summer produce! Be careful though…too many of these and you’ll be slurring

I am beautiful no matter what they sayWords can’t bring me downI am beautiful in every single wayYes, words can’t bring me down, oh noSo don’t you bring me down today

into a pretend mic and telling all your gal pals how much you love them before dessert!

Watermelon Vodka Recipe:

Beetroot Confit and Marinated Goat’s FetaTarts

I didn’t make these because I pretty much hate beetroot. To me, except for one Beetroot Tzatziki which I love, it tastes like dirt. The funny thing is though, it is something I really want to like. So I keep trying to make things with it in the hope that I will find the magic recipe that turns that switch in me from off to on. In this instance, I love the look of the pastry dotted with poppy seeds, the shape of the tiny little black dots echoed in the round of the goat’s cheese, and the gorgeous crimson of the beetroot in between.

Confit Beetroot and Goat’s Cheese Tarts Recipe:

Tuna Carpaccio

I loved this!!! It was so good! (one thing, I completely forgot to add the cucumber to this!). Also, I had no mixed baby cress so I subbed in watercress. When I was in Darwin recently, we went to a restaurant called Pee Wee’s at the Point for the Fussiest Eater in the World’s birthday. There, I had a buffalo carpaccio which was one of the best things I have ever eaten in my life! That dish came with a Hot English Mustard Mayo which inspired me to add my own mayo to this carpaccio. I made a Wasabi Mayonnaise (you can see a little dab of it front and centre in the above photo).

Here is a pic of that buffalo carpaccio. Just looking at it makes we want to go all the way back to Darwin so I can eat it again!

Tuna Carpaccio Recipe:

Baby Tiramisu

These look adorable! And despite not being pink, they are the perfect way to end the evening…or to snack on as you are settling on the couch to watch a dvd or two! And because they are tiny, you can eat one and still fit into a dress just like Kate Hudson’s in “How To Lose A Guy in Ten Days”!

Baby Tiramisu Recipe:

My Nigella Moment – Duck with Berries

For first-time readers, this refers to the moment at the end of Nigella Lawson’s cooking shows when she sneaks back to the fridge to have another bite of something delicious. In the context of these Twenty Years Ago posts, it is something contained in the magazine that does not fit with the overall menu theme but I’m sneaking it in either because I made it and it was really good, or I just didn’t have time to make it!

This month, my Nigella dish is Duck with Berries which came from an article on romantic food to cook for Valentine’s day. It was so good! Timing is so important when cooking duck and this recipe nailed it!

Duck with Berries Recipe:

Delicious Magazine certainly delivered on the Girl’s Night Menu!

Please let me know if you make the Beetroot Tarts. I am so intrigued by them! And also, if you are old enough to have had a girl’s night in 2003, would this have been the menu you would have chosen?

If you would like to contribute a theme, please let me know, I’m up for any challenge you can throw at me!

And happy Valentines, Galentines or however you want to spend the coming Tuesday!

25
Jun
2019

Use By: Watermelon and Feta Salad

categories: Feta, Fruit, Salad, Use By, Watermelon

To me, watermelon is an icon of summer and happiness. And I love feta cheese. So I am unsure why I was initially so resistant to the idea of a watermelon and feta salad. But the minute I tried it, I realised how wrong I had been. It is DELICIOUS!!!! And a really good way to use up a little bit of watermelon you may have left in your fridge.

It is winter and dark and grey here in Melbourne at the moment so this salad is a mere memory of sunshine. However, for those of you in the Northern Hemisphere, I hope this becomes as much a staple on your summer table as it is now on mine!

Before we even get onto the taste, let’s talk about how my Watermelon and Feta salad looks!.

It is such a lovely contrast of colours – the deep pink of the watermelon against the white of the feta, the deep blackish purple of the olives, the lighter purple of the onions and the bright green of the leaves.

And as for the taste? It will get your tastebuds dancing lust ike this!

The girl in the white mini dress is the watermelon…it’s the first thing you notice and she’s bringing the sweetness.

The girl in the leafy bikini is the feta. Also up front but bringing a bit more complexity by adding some salty creaminess to the mix.

Blue Speedo guy is the red onion. He’s adding some pow!

Sitting down girl is the olives – she’s bringing some more salt and a briny oiliness and somehow keeping all the others on beat.

White bikini in the background? She’s the leaves – she’s bascially a supporting player for the front four

And finally, orange Speedo’s? He’s the sprinkle of fresh dill and chilli flakes….not noticeable all the time…but when you do…it’s memorable!

Add them all together and you’ve got a party just ready to happen!

This is a fun salad and if you aren’t into the beach party breakdown I have given you, look at some other ways people have had fun with it:

Rubik’s Cube Salad (via Cityline TV)

Watermelon Cups (via Clean Food Crush)

And my favourite, just because it is so pretty! Watermelon Stars (via Taste.com.au)

This starry version will be part of Christmas lunch this year for sure!

My recipe is fairly loose, depending on what I have on hand. Check out any of the recipes above for an exact version.

But don’t forget to add the olives. None of the other recipes include them and believe me, they bring it!!!

Have a fabulous week!

Category: Watermelon