Our nights are getting cooler, but I am not ready to give up on garden-fresh vegetables just yet.
I’ll be giving you soup and chili recipes soon enough. This recipe today is good year-round, though, and it is delicious. It makes a great lunch all by itself or a really good side dish at dinner.
Cucumbers are low in calories but have very good amounts of potassium, fiber and vitamin C. They promote hydration and they are an easy addition to your diet since they are so low in calories. Cucumbers have a special set of antioxidants, including flavonoids, lignans and triterpenes. In lay terms, they protect our cells but also lessen inflammation in our bodies.
Cantaloupes have a high water content and, for this reason, they too are very low in calories. They provide 100% of our daily need for vitamin A and more than 50% of our daily need for vitamin C, along with fiber and potassium. This salad is very nutritious.
I’m introducing a seasoning in this recipe that you may have never heard of before: sumac. This is a tart, citrusy spice generally sold in ground form, can be found at Middle Eastern markets, specialty foods stores and online. If you don’t have sumac in your pantry, don’t run out and buy any. A great substitute is lemon zest mixed with salt and pepper.
Another variation of this salad is cucumber and honeydew with feta cheese. But try this one first. I think you’ll like it.
CUCUMBER & CANTALOUPE SALAD (serves 4)
Ingredients
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 large cantaloupe, rind and seeds removed, flesh cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large English hothouse cucumber, sliced on a diagonal 1/2 inch thick
1 or 2 Fresno chiles, thinly sliced
1/2 cup unsalted, roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped mint
Sumac (for serving)
Preparation
1. Whisk oil, vinegar, coriander, salt, pepper and cardamom in a large bowl. Add cantaloupe, cucumber and chilis and toss to coat in dressing. Let sit, uncovered, 15 minutes.
2. To serve, add pumpkin seeds, cilantro and mint to salad and toss gently to combine. Top with sumac.
(Candy Work is a certified physician assistant and registered dietician. She has practiced at Olean Medical Group since 2015.)
September 19, 2020 at 10:49PM
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A light but nutritious dish | Lifestyle - Olean Times Herald
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