Watermelon chowchow salad

Discover the refreshing blend of sweet watermelon with tangy chow-chow in this vibrant summer salad. Perfect for picnics and BBQs.

Ingredients:

• 1 small watermelon, washed
• 1 green tomato, diced
• 1 red or orange bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon allspice berries
• 1 pod star anise
• Kosher salt
• 230g green beans and/or wax beans, trimmed
• 2 15-ounce cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
• 1 jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced (remove seeds for less heat)
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground pepper

Instructions:

1. Prepare the pickled watermelon: Cut the watermelon into quarters, then carefully remove most of the fruit using a small knife, leaving a thin layer of about 1/4 inch on the rind. (You can save the removed fruit for later use.) Peel off the outer skin of the rind and discard it. Cut the rind into pieces of about 1/2 inch; mix it with the tomato and bell pepper in a bowl.
2. In a medium saucepan, mix 1 cup of water with vinegar, sugar, allspice, star anise, and 4 teaspoons of salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar is fully dissolved. Then pour this mixture over the watermelon rind mix. Let it cool down to room temperature, cover it, and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours or up to 1 week.
3. Prepare the salad: Boil a saucepan of water with some salt. Cook the beans in the boiling water until they are tender but still slightly crisp, which should take around 5 minutes. Drain the beans and put them in a bowl of ice water to cool them down. After they have cooled, drain them, pat them dry, and cut them into pieces about 2 inches long.
4. With a slotted spoon, move 4 cups of the pickled watermelon mix to a large bowl. Add the beans, black-eyed peas, jalapeno, and olive oil; season the mixture with salt and pepper, then toss everything together. Cover the bowl and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving.

Summary:

• Calories: 2604 kcal
• Fat: 81 g
• Protein: 59 g
• Carbs: 436 g
• Potassium: 4758 mg
• Magnesium: 530 mg