Our Summer Eats series continues with this delicious and unusual salad from the new cookbook, Mussels: Preparing, Cooking and Enjoying a Sensational Seafood, by Chef Alain Bossé and Linda Duncan. Serve this dish at your next barbecue and you're bound to make an excellent impression.

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Is there anything more refreshing than a cool slice of watermelon on a hot summer’s day? Alain thinks this mussel and watermelon salad makes a pretty refreshing change from a traditional garden salad. The sweetness of the watermelon balances the saltiness of the mussels and feta, creating a perfect balance on the palate.

Mussels

2 lb (1 kg) mussels

1/4 cup (60 mL) white wine

Salad

4 cups (1 L) 1½-inch (4 cm) watermelon cubes

1/2 red onion, julienne

1 English cucumber, diced

24 oregano leaves

24 basil leaves, chopped

24 pitted kalamata olives

1/2 cup (125 mL) olive oil

1/4 cup (60 mL) white balsamic vinegar

11/2 Tbsp (22.5 mL) coarse salt

1 Tbsp (15 mL) black pepper

1/2 cup (125 mL) crumbled feta cheese

Mussels

Rinse the mussels under running fresh water. Throw away any that do not close.

In a large pot, add the mussels and wine. Cover with a lid and cook on high for approximately 5 to 6 minutes or until steam is pouring out from under the lid.

Let the mussels cool. Remove the mussel meat from the shells and put it in a covered bowl or dish.

Refrigerate until ready to assemble.

Salad

In a large bowl, toss the watermelon, red onion, cucumber, oregano, basil, and olives. Pour in the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and mix until incorporated. Carefully fold in the mussels and top with the feta cheese.

Refrigerate for at least one hour. Gently re-toss just before serving.

Excerpted from Mussels by Alain Bossé and Linda Duncan, published by Whitecap Books, 2014. Used with permission of the publisher.