Serves 8

1 small red onion
2 to 4 limes, depending on juiciness
3 ½ pound seedless watermelon
9 ounces feta cheese
Bunch flat-leaf Italian parsley
Bunch fresh mint, chopped
3 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ cup pitted black olives
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste 

Peel and halve the red onion and cut into very fine half moons and put in a small bowl to steep with the lime juice, to bring out the transparent pinkness in the onions and diminish their rasp.

The juice of 2 limes should do it, but you can find the fruits disappointingly dried up and barren when you cut them in half, in which case add more.

Remove the rind from the watermelon, and cut into approximately 1 ¾-inch triangular chunks.  No need to be precise, rough and tumble is fine for this salad.

Cut the feta into similar sized pieces and put them both into a large, wide shallow bowl. Tear off sprigs of parsley so that it is used like a salad leaf, rather than a garnish, and add to the bowl along with the chopped mint.

Tip the macerated onions, along with their pink juices over the salad in the bowl; add the oil and olives, then using your hands toss the salad very gently so that the feta and melon don't lose their shape.

Add a good grinding of black pepper and taste to see whether the dressing needs more lime.