Watermelon Jalapeño Margarita

I have been creating everything from margaritas to martinis to the classic watermelon feta salad with this sweet juicy summertime melon!

I even dropped a watermelon cube in a glass of Prosecco which naturally deserved an instagram shot and sparked lots of interest on Twitter. Just a little flare to sweeten the bubbly!

I made a gigantic batch of Watermelon Jalapeno Margaritas for the Fourth of July boating excursion and they were a huge hit! Prior to preparing a full fledged beach worthy batch I did some taste testing and made a smaller version of one for myself - straight up martini style because my zig zag martini glasses make for a fun presentation.

Since I am pretty sure you'll want an entire pitcher on hand, the recipe for the crowd sized version is as follows:

Watermelon Jalapeno Margaritas

-1/2 a watermelon - roughly chopped into small pieces

- 12 limes

- 2 jalapenos - seeds removed and diced

- 2 cups tequila

- 1 cup triple sec

1) Add the watermelon, the juice of 12 limes and the jalapenos to a blender. If your blender is not large enough, work to puree in batches.

2) Strain the mixture into a pitcher through a fine sieve to avoid any excess watermelon or jalapeno seeds.

3) Stir in Tequila and Triple Sec

4) Serve over ice and garnish with a watermelon and jalapeno slice. (my martini glass has none, but over ice is definitely the best way to serve it).If you are only preparing one or two drinks you can skip the blender and instead muddle and pour the ingredients directly into a shaker. Cheers!

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For our 4th of July dinner I paired a juicy Watermelon Feta Salad with scallops wrapped in bacon and roasted broccoli.My friend Gretchen made this salad last Labor Day Weekend (it also goes great with corn on the cob and lobster.)

Watermelon Feta Salad

-1/2 a watermelon, seeded & cubed

-3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

-1/4 cup sliced basil

-2 tsp olive oil

-1 tsp balsamic vinegar

-salt and pepper to taste

1) Toss the watermelon + feta in a large bowl.

2) Whisk the vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper

3) Pour over salad and toss. 

4) Top with fresh basil or mint. Serve immediately.

Watermelon and Feta make quite a pair; this salad is a crowd pleaser not to mention a super satisfying and refreshing accompaniment to a summer meal. An endless summer of watermelon treats coming right up!