Pickled Watermelon Rind Salad

On this last day of September, I've been thinking about the waning days of summer weather and the sweet heirloom tomatoes and watermelons that are still available at the farmer's markets (not for long!) and some of the local supermarkets.  I got the idea for this salad from a similar side dish special I had at one of my favorite new restaurants in Charlottesville, The Whiskey Jar.  And the great thing about this salad?  The watermelon rind isn't a true pickle--it's a "quickle."  (I made the entire salad in under two hours.)

My version of this salad includes a variety of heirloom tomatoes (whatever you can find), and a Yellow Crimson watermelon, small and circular with a yellow-orange flesh.  It's sweet, salty, and delicious.  And the summery pickled watermelon rind would still be seasonal even after the summer weather fades . . . .  I spiced it with cinnamon, cloves, and star anise.  

To say goodbye to summer, I'm giving you Ella Fitzgerald's hauntingly beautiful "Everytime We Say Goodbye."  I don't know if it's the coming of Autumn or just a general feeling of Fall, but my music tastes lately have been drifting backward in time toward the sweet sounds of Ella's jazz and the Carter Family's Appalachian guitar.  

Ingredients:
--1/2 small watermelon (the Yellow Crimson that I used is small, so you only need half--if you have a larger watermelon, you probably only need about 1/4 of it).
--4 heirloom tomatoes (your choice!)
--4 c. apple cider vinegar
--2 c. water
--1/2 c. granulated sugar
--2 cinnamon sticks
--10 whole cloves
--2 whole star anise fruits (dried)
--1 tbsp. salt
--1 tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
--1 tbsp. honey
--2 tbsp. coarsley ground mustard

For the watermelon:
Remove the flesh and remove its seeds, leaving approximately 1/4" flesh on the rind.  Chop watermelon flesh into large chunks and set aside in a large bowl.  Very carefully skin the watermelon rind and chop into 1" pieces.  Place in a saucepan with apple cider vinegar, water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and star anise.  Bring to a boil and continue to simmer over medium heat for approximately 45 minutes, or until the rind is soft and the aroma of vinegar and autumnal spices have filled your home.  Remove from heat and allow to cool. 

The salad:
Wash and chop heirloom tomatoes and add to bowl with watermelon flesh.  Strain the watermelon rind in the saucepan, *making sure* to reserve about one cup of the cooking liquid.  Add the watermelon rind to your salad bowl (tomatoes, watermelon flesh).  In a separate small bowl, combine the reserved cooking liquid, salt, pepper, honey, and mustard to make a salad dressing.  Whisk thoroughly and pour over salad.  Toss to fully coat the tomatoes and watermelon pieces in the dressing.  Refrigerate for 2-4 hours before serving.  This is delicious with a crusty sourdough baguette on the side.