Recipe: Watermelon Cocktail and Feta Popcorn for July 4th

What could be more refreshing on July 4th than Chef Renee Marton’s Watermelon Wave Cocktail? Its red-tinged coloration sports a true patriotic blush! Pair this drink with Renee’s Feta-shized Popcorn–derived from the now-classic salad combo of feta cheese and watermelon cubes–and you’ve got yourself some culinary fireworks to impress your guests with.

A watermelon cocktail is a refreshing summer drink. Photo: jspatchwork via flickr.

Watermelon Wave Cocktail
6 servings

INGREDIENTS

8 cups seedless red watermelon cubes

6 cups seedless yellow watermelon cubes, frozen. (Freeze the yellow watermelon cubes in an ice cube tray, at least a couple of hours. They will be used as ice cubes in the drink.)

1 cup Cointreau
½ light rum
1 ½ cups freshly squeezed orange juice
1 cup club soda
¼ cup Grenadine
2 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice

Garnish: 2 mint leaves per drink
Pinch flaky sea salt per glass

METHOD

1. Place red watermelon cubes in blender.  Blend until mixture is liquefied. Strain through a fine mesh strainer.
2. Not including the yellow watermelon cubes, mix next six ingredients until well blended, then add red watermelon juice.
3. Pour drinks into 6 old fashioned glasses filled with yellow watermelon ice cubes. Squeeze the mint leaves gently between your fingers and drop into the drink (don’t over press—mint will become bitter).  Sprinkle drink with sea salt (5-6 grains/flakes for each drink).

Feta-shized Popcorn

INGREDIENTS
1 bag microwave popcorn, popped—unsalted plain is best. Keep warm in a covered mixing bowl.  Or 1 bag popped plain popcorn, unsalted, which you will reheat later.

¼ pound hard feta cheese—the dry and salty kind, grated
1 teaspoon smoked paprika-sweet or hot
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons good olive oil

METHOD

Warm the olive oil in a small pan (not smoking hot): add paprika and cayenne.  Stir the oil until it is red (about 1minute).  Pour onto popcorn and toss—quite a few times—until well distributed.

Add feta and toss again.

Place bowl (no plastic, please) in microwave and heat for 20-30 seconds (depending on the wattage of your microwave oven).  When cheese is melted, toss all together and serve. Taste for saltiness.  Have napkins handy.

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