Fruit and vegetable salad with rockmelon and chilli dressing

By: Jim McDougall, Stefano de Pieri
From: Nuovo Mondo
Makes: 1
Photographer: Alan Benson

This is a vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free dish. The heat of the chilli and the sweetness of the other ingredients make this salad a perfect match with a pale ale that displays citrus and tropical characters. It was developed with visiting Italian chef Marco Paladini, for Stefano’s storm pale ale.

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
1	zucchini
1	carrot
1 tbsp	extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
6	small lettuce leaves
2	ripe tomato, skinned and seeded
1	strawberry, cut in half or as desired
2	raspberries
1	radish, cut into thin matchsticks and kept in chilled water
1	fennel, finely sliced and kept in chilled water
3	pear, kept in acidulated water
3	apple, kept in acidulated water
1 tbsp	pomegranate seeds
	salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sauce

Quantity	Ingredient
1	rockmelon, skinned
1	spring onion, white part only
	hot chilli powder, or more to taste
	extra-virgin olive oil, for blending
1 tbsp	lemon juice, or to taste
	salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Using a vegetable peeler, shave three strips each from the zucchini and carrot (this recipe is for a single serve and so only uses part of the zucchini and carrot; scale as required to make multiple serves). Warm the olive oil in a frying pan over low heat and add the zucchini and carrot shavings. Cook gently just long enough for them to wilt, then remove from the heat.
Make the sauce by blending the rockmelon, spring onion and chilli powder together in a blender or food processor. Add some olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Make it as tasty and as aggressive as you like.
Arrange the zucchini and carrot with the remaining fruit and vegetables on a serving plate, starting with the wilted vegetables as the base of the composition.
Dress generously with the rockmelon sauce. If you like, add more extra-virgin olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.