Chinese medicine advocates living and eating according to the seasons. Tailoring one’s diet to body type and the healthy fruits and vegetables that are in season is a way of living in harmony with nature. Although in San Diego we don’t have distinct seasons, our energies still flow with the yearly rhythm. Mother Nature provides foods that balance temperament as it fluctuates with the seasons. Watermelon is the perfect example.

It’s no surprise where this juicy, refreshing fruit earned its name. Watermelon has a water content of 92 percent, giving its flesh a crumbly and subtly crunchy texture that make it a favorite thirst-quenching fruit.

Chinese herbology books recommend watermelon as a way to engender fluids and clear summer heat. No wonder watermelons were first cultivated in Egypt where scribes testified their restorative properties in hieroglyphics painted on walls and grave preparers left watermelons in tombs.

The best way to choose a flavorful watermelon is to look at the color and quality of the flesh, which should be deep and without white streaks. If you’re buying a whole, uncut melon, look for one that is heavy for its size, with a rind that is relatively smooth and neither overly shiny nor overly dull. But if you’re buying a cut melon, make sure the seeds are dark, not pale. In addition, one side of the melon should have an area that has a creamy, yellowish tone. This is the underbelly, where the melon rested on the ground during ripening. If it doesn’t have this marking, it may have been harvested prematurely, which will diminish its taste, texture and juiciness.

A Few Quick Serving Ideas:

• Purée watermelon, cantaloupe and kiwi fruit together. Swirl in a little plain yogurt and serve as refreshing, cold soup.

• In Asia, roasted watermelon seeds are either seasoned and eaten as a snack food or ground up into cereal and used to make bread.

• A featured item of Southern American cooking, the rind of watermelon can be marinated, pickled or candied.

• Watermelon mixed with thinly sliced red onion, salt and black pepper makes a great summer salad.

• Watermelon is a wonderful addition to fruit salad.

• Grilling watermelon gives it a unique flavor, like in this grilled watermelon salad!

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 15 min

Level: Easy

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Fresh, finely cracked black pepper

Directions

• Stand the watermelon half cut-side down on a cutting board and slice away the rind, leaving a solid block of melon. Turn the block on its side and cut it into 8 squares, roughly 3 by 3 inches and 1-inch thick.

• Pour the vinegar into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced to a thick, syrupy consistency. Set aside.

• Heat a nonstick grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle just enough olive oil over watermelon slices to thinly coat and place on hot grill pan. Grill each side about 2 minutes until grill marks appear; transfer to a plate and season with salt.

• To assemble the salads, put about 1/4 cup of baby arugula on a serving plate, followed by a grilled slice of watermelon in the center, and top with a tablespoon of crumbled cheese and another 1/4 cup arugula.

• Add another watermelon slice and another tablespoon of cheese.

• Repeat with remaining ingredients. Finish each salad with a very light drizzle of olive oil and balsamic syrup. Dust with black pepper and serve immediately.