asparagus
green beans
peas
snow peas
spinach
watercress
mint
strawberries
mandarins
pineapples
papayas
melons

How did I want to put these together? I came up with several ideas, but the one that stuck was this idea for a hollowed out cantaloupe half stuffed with fruit and herbs. I wanted to turn this into a main dish salad, however, so I started adding elements. Ribbons of spinach. Almonds. And to give it more depth, more backbone, more meat, if you will, I added quinoa.

If you haven’t yet heard of quinoa, I’ll give you the lowdown. It’s an ancient grain that dates back to the Incan empire. It’s wheat-free, contains all eight amino acids, is rich in vitamins and minerals, has a slight nutty flavor, and a nice texture. Plus, it only takes about fifteen minutes to cook. It’s gaining in popularity, so some well-stocked supermarkets may carry it, especially if they have a bulk section. If not, check the health food store.

I planned this meal for later in the week, when the weather was supposed to be nice, because what’s better than eating a light, fresh dinner outdoors in the sunshine? Unfortunately, a cold front swooped down from Alaska, and our expected 60 something degrees turned to low 40s. Blech. But I made the bowls anyway, and we grubbed them under the lights of our kitchen, ignoring the weather outside.

One more note. I don’t have measurements for this recipe. As I’ve said, I’m not a big fan of measuring. All I can offer you are guidelines. The basic rule, for me, is to balance. But if you prefer more of something, less of another, by all means—make it your way!!

Cantaloupe Bowls

1 cantaloupe
strawberries
mint
spinach
sliced almonds
quinoa
*lemon poppy seed dressing (see below for additional ingredients you may need)
croissants (optional)

Special equipment: melon baller

Prepare your favorite lemon poppyseed dressing, or purchase from a store. I use the recipe out of The Essential Cookbook, with a few tweaks. *They key is to always use fresh lemon juice and zest if you’re making your own!

Cook the quinoa. The basic method is as follows, and is similar to rice. Double the amount of water to quinoa. If you use 1 cup of quinoa, 2 cups of water will be required. Rinse your quinoa well, then bring the water and quinoa to a boil. Cover. Turn the heat down, let simmer until the water has evaporated and the quinoa is tender. 15-20 minutes. For this recipe, use ¼ to ½ cup quinoa. Let the quinoa cool.

Wash the cantaloupe. This may seem like a no-brainer, but I know many people who don’t wash their produce. No, you won’t be eating the outer rind, but your knife slices through it, right? And besides pesticides, think of all the nasty that’s on the conveyer belts at the grocery store. Don’t believe me? Ask the cashiers. So, please, folks, wash your produce!

Cut the cantaloupe in half, and remove the inner pulp and seeds. Using a melon baller, remove most of the fruit, transferring it to a large bowl.

Cut the strawberries into quarters. Place them in the bowl along with the cantaloupe.

Chop a handful of fresh mint. Add to bowl.

Cut the spinach leaves into thin ribbons. Add to bowl.

Add a handful of sliced almonds to the mixture.

Once quinoa has cooled, add to the fruit, herb, and nut mixture.

Drizzle the lemon poppyseed dressing over the ingredients and lightly toss.

Using tongs, transfer the salad into the hollowed out cantaloupe halves.

Serve immediately. Serving size: 2. Serve with croissants.

This is a perfect salad for chilly weather. The smell of roasting sweet potatoes sprinkled with thyme, and their rich orange color, is comforting. The hazelnuts and cranberries, the sugar-spice of candied ginger, the crisp apple slices, all appeal to the warming senses. It’s also a hearty salad, despite being meatless. My husband, an avid meat eater, raves about the richness of the sweet potatoes. If you insist on meat, however, try adding sliced chicken or apple sausage, and let me know how it tastes.

A note about candied, or crystallized, ginger: You can find it in the spice section of most supermarkets, but it’s usually very expensive. However, I recommend buying it at Trader Joes, if you have one in the area. I found a bag of it there for a very affordable price, about three dollars, if I’m remember correctly. Really, it’s a steal.

A note about toasting hazelnuts: Place them on a baking sheet in a 250 degree oven. Watch closely. They burn very easily!! Once they are cooled, you can take a paper towel and rub the skin off of them.

And forgive me for the generalness of this recipe. I hate to measure…

Ingredients:

1 large bunch spinach, or 1 pre-washed bag
2 medium sweet potatoes
fresh thyme
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
a handful of candied ginger, diced
1 apple, sliced
olive oil
brown sugar
balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

Optional: Parmesan or mascarpone cheese

1. Peel and cut sweet potatoes into thick wedges or slices, about 6 per potato. Toss with olive oil, fresh thyme, salt and pepper. Bake in a 350 degree oven, turning once, until done, about 40 minutes.

2. Wash and dry the spinach. Place in a large bowl.

3. Mix about ¼ cup balsamic vinegar with 1-2 tablespoons brown sugar. The amount of sugar you add will depend on how tart you like your dressing, so go by taste. You can also add olive oil, if you like. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss spinach with dressing.

4. To the dressed spinach add the dried cranberries, toasted and chopped hazelnuts, diced candied ginger, and the sliced apple. Top with the roasted sweet potatoes.

5. Add fresh thyme and Parmesan curls, or a dab of mascarpone, for garnish.