For a fresh and light summertime, CW food writer Fiona Williams shares the perfect salads for alfresco dining, summer entertaining or to simply snack on!
Watermelon and Asian herb salad
Recipe extracted from The Compassionate Kitchen by Gemma Davis and Tracy Noelle, published by Simon & Schuster Australia, RRP $39.99.
Serves: 4
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and very thinly sliced
- 400g watermelon, cut into medium chunks
- 1 bunch mint leaves roughly torn
- 1 bunch coriander leaves roughly torn
- ½ bunch Thai basil, leaves roughly torn
- 4 spring onions cut into julienne
- 1 Lebanese cucumber, cut into chunks
- Pepper
Dressing
- 1 bunch coriander, leaves and stalks
- 1 jalapeno chilli, seeded and roughly chopped
- ½ cup lime juice
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 spring onion, trimmed
Blanch the sweet potato slices in a bowl of boiling water for 4 minutes. Refresh in a bowl of iced water for 4 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the watermelon, fresh herbs, spring onion, cucumber and a grinding of pepper in a large bowl. Drain the sweet potato and add it to the salad.
To make the dressing, place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss to combine.
Banana fruit salad
Recipe courtesy of Australian Bananas | www.australianbananas.com.au
Serves: 6
Prep: 30 mins
- 4 bananas, sliced (Lady Finger or Cavendish)
- 1 small pineapple peeled, chopped
- 2 mangoes peeled and chopped
- 300g cherries, pitted
- 2 peaches, chopped
- 1 cup purple grapes sliced
- 250g strawberries hulled, halved
- 2 kiwi fruit peeled, chopped
- ½ cup pistachio kernels, toasted, roughly chopped
- Small basil leaves or edible flower, to garnish, optional
- Thick Greek yoghurt, to serve
Basil sugar
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 6 large basil leaves
For the basil sugar, place sugar and basil in a small food processor. Process and until finely chopped. Transfer to a jar, refrigerate until needed.
For the fruit salad, combine all the fruit in a large bowl. Spoon over two-thirds of the basil sugar and stir gently to coat. Sprinkle over the pistachio then remaining basil sugar. Scatter over the basil leaves or flowers and serve with yoghurt.
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