Watermelon, Feta, & Mint Salad with Balsamic Reduction

Congrats to me on my 50th post!!

I put together this salad in less than 10 minutes & I'm savoring it as I type, wishing I had more!! It is most definitely NOT a skeptic's salad because the ingredients seem so random, yet go so well together if I may say so myself. Granted the idea of watermelon & feta isn't a brand new one that came to me in a culinary dream. Rather it is quite popular & I've seen the 2 paired many times on the Food Network, or otherwise. Anyways, I had a lot of fresh cut up watermelon (Rosie absolutely loves it), & a big block of feta cheese in my fridge. I also had fresh picked mint from Avi's aunt's house, & decided to put together this salad! I made a quick balsamic reduction, drizzled it over & sprinkled some pumpkin seeds/pepitas over top. Everyone knows I'm a sucker for sweet+savory dishes, and this one passes the test with flying colors. The sweetness of the watermelon, freshness of the mint, & the saltiness of the feta, mixed with the crunch of the seeds & the tanginess of the balsamic couldn't be more CRAZY GOOD & looks oh-so-gourmet!

For the salad:
-Watermelon, cut small
-Crumbled feta cheese
-A few mint leaves, finely chopped
-Pumpkin seeds
-Balsamic Reduction

-Make the balsamic reduction by adding about 1/4 cup of balsamic into a small saucepan with about a tbsp. of granulated sugar. Whisk it on high heat, bring to a boil, continue whisking a few times for a few minutes, lower the  heat to medium, & whisk until it becomes syrupy. If you don't see it going anywhere, you can add a touch more sugar.
-In the meantime, layer the watermelon, crumble the feta on top, mint, & the pumpkin seeds.
-I drizzled my balsamic reduction over my salad right off the fire, & I think touching the cold plate/food just froze it up! The reduction literally became like balsamic jewels on my plate- almost like candy! (Or it's possible that I added too much sugar). While it was still good, it probably would have been better in the syrupy consistency, so I'd advise to let the reduction cool before drizzling it over the salad. If you are short on time and don't want to make reduction, just a squirt of balsamic over the salad will probably do it justice as well.

A simple salad, perfect for the 9 days :-).

E