Watermelon, Strawberry and Bacon Salad

This is a simple salad that has summer written all over it. Watermelon and strawberries--find fresh local ones if you can--are the perfect ripe red fruits of summer. The feta cheese adds some tang and the bacon adds its wonderful smoky crisp meatiness.

Feel free to mix this up as you please. Some sweet sungold tomatoes would be good in here, as would fresh blueberries.

I made this for lunch while we were on the Oregon coast a couple of months ago. For whatever reason, we tend to almost always buy watermelon while we're there, but don't get it much when we're home at D.C. (which is a shame, since watermelon is so good). See below for more watermelon salad recipes.

Watermelon, Strawberry and Bacon Salad

1/4 lb. thick-cut hickory-smoked bacon
3-4 cups arugula leaves
2 cups cubed watermelon
1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/4 cup feta cheese cubes
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Heat a medium frying pan over medium heat and cook the bacon until crisped. Set the cooked bacon aside on a paper-towel-lined plate, then transfer to a cutting board and chop into 1/2-inch pieces.

2. In a large bowl, combine arugula, watermelon cubes, sliced strawberries, feta cheese, pecans and bacon pieces. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper. Pour over salad and toss to coat with dressing. Serve salad in large shallow bowls.

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