Avocado

Cantalope,Avocado and Grape Tomato Salad with Lemon and Cracked Pepper

by:
June 19, 2012
4
1 Ratings
  • Prep time 40 minutes
  • Serves 4-6 (6 cups)
Author Notes

I know this combination sounds crazy, yet it works. Nutty buttery avocado, sweet juicy melon, tart tomatoes and the bright punch of lemon , accented with the dark spice of cracked pepper. This is my favorite summer salad, and is based on a dish that really opened my culinary eyes when I shared a weekend TM retreat in Connecticut with a close college friend back in the 1970's . (I really love this for breakfast too!) We often pack it for summer travel and like eating it with a spoon. —LeBec Fin

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 3 pounds ripe cantalope ( 1 1/2 lb. flesh)in 1" cubes
  • 8 ounces ripe grape or cherry tomatoes,quartered *
  • 1 1/2 ripe Haas avocados ( 9 ou. total gross weight) in 1/2" cubes **
  • a little kosher salt
  • lots of fresh coarsely ground black pepper
  • ~ 1-2 lemon's fresh lemon juice
Directions
  1. Gently combine all. Taste and adjust as needed. Chill well. Devour! Will last a few days in the frig.
  2. *Cutting tomatoes is sooo much easier with a serrated tomato knife.
  3. ** My no-muss technique for cubing avocado: Halve1 avocado lengthwise.Twist slightly to separate halves and then remove pit by piercing it with the edge of a sharp knife and tugging.. Cradle one avocado half in palm of one hand, and have sharp knife in other hand. Gently score the avocado all the way through the flesh, just til you reach the skin, in a cross hatch pattern of parallel lines, East/West and North/South, w/ a spacing of about ½” between the cuts. Using a soup spoon, scoop out the avocado in one or two scoops. Cubes fall right out into your bowl!Scrape out any remaining avocado bits and add in with the rest. Repeat with second avocado half.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

My eating passions are Japanese, Indian, Mexican; with Italian and French following close behind. Turkish/Arabic/Mediterranean cuisines are my latest culinary fascination. My desert island ABCs are actually 4 Cs: citrus, cumin, cilantro, cardamom, and GARLIC! I am so excited by the level of sophistication that I see on Food52 and hope to contribute recipes that will inspire you like yours do me. I would like to ask a favor of all who do try a recipe of mine > Would you plse review it and tell me truthfully how it worked for you and/or how you think it would be better? I know many times we feel that we don't want to hurt someone's feelings, but. i really do want your honest feedback because it can only help me improve the recipe.Thanks so much.

1 Review

BoulderGalinTokyo June 19, 2012
I think this combination WORKS too! Nice...