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Cantaloupe packs a powerful health punch

In France for a family reunion, Catherine Burns made a melon, feta and pistachio salad

Last Friday I gave you an everyday detox so hopefully you’re feeling sprightly and your liver is as clean as a whistle! Yes? No? Well, if you’re struggling to get all the good stuff in, maybe you just need some great recipes. Healthy eating is never going to stick unless you genuinely enjoy it.

This week I’ve been in France – the land of bread and cheese. It’s a hard place to be when you’re gluten- and dairy-intolerant! But I’ve compensated by eating endless amounts of incredible fruit.

Nectarines are my absolutely favourite but I’ve fallen in love with cantaloupe too. I usually think of cantaloupe as boring but I’ve changed my mind.

The ones we bought from the market were tender, sweet and bursting with flavour.

I did some research and found that cantaloupe is a good source of folic acid (heart healthy), calcium (bones), zinc (immunity) and choline too.

Choline is pretty wonderful as it helps to regulate memory, mood and muscle control.

Anyway, I digress. I was in Provence for a family reunion. We do this every few years and gather from Bermuda, France, England, Australia and Hungary.

It’s an eclectic crew of 24 which is a lot of mouths to feed. We took it in turns to cook and I made this melon, feta and pistachio salad.

The contrast of the sweet melon with the salty cheese and nuts was delicious. (I can get away with a little goat feta every now and then and this was the perfect dish for it.)

The blocks of feta are easier to deal with in this recipe, but you could use a soft, local goat cheese too.

I would serve this as an appetiser or you can add some grilled chicken or fish to turn it into a main. Either way – enjoy!

Melon, feta and pistachio salad

Ingredients (per person)

Handful dark green leaves (I used lamb’s lettuce)

1 tbsp pistachios, salted, chopped

½ cup cantaloupe, bite-sized pieces

¼ cup feta, bite-sized cubes

Dressing: 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp maple syrup, 1 tsp lemon juice and a dash of salt and pepper

Method:

1. Prep the dressing and set to one side

2. Shell and roughly chop the pistachios

3. Dice the melon and feta

4. Assemble the leaves on the plate. Add the melon, pistachios and feta. Re-stir the dressing and the drizzle over. Simple and delicious.

Catherine Burns is a qualified nutritional therapist. For more details: www.natural.bm, 505-4725, Natural Nutrition Bermuda on Facebook and @naturalbda on Instagram

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Published August 12, 2022 at 7:59 am (Updated August 12, 2022 at 7:21 am)

Cantaloupe packs a powerful health punch

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