Honeydew Blueberry Salad

Mmmmm. What a delightful combination this simple fruit salad bestows — both in taste and appearance! 

It’s easy to visualize the sweet, juicy light green flesh of the honeydew contrasted with the deep, dark blue of the berries. Intersperse those with the darker green color and pungent flavor of chopped basil and the fresh, sassy taste of lime. It’s a most alluring fusion. CJK

Honeydew Blueberry Salad

(Nikki Rajala)

1 honeydew melon

1 pint blueberries

1 lime, zested and juiced

1 tsp. sugar

2 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped

2 tbsp. olive oil

Cut the honeydew into 3/4-inch cubes and place in a large glass bowl. Gently stir in the blueberries. In another bowl, mix lime zest and juice, sugar, basil and olive oil. Pour over fruit shortly before serving — adding it too far in advance causes the melon to become overly juicy, diluting the dressing.

A note from Nikki: I’ve played with this recipe, using fresh mint, limeade concentrate and even cantaloupe. And, I’ve read about others using white wine, mango, ginger, orange zest and juice, but this combination is my favorite — the flavors and colors really appeal to me.

A note from Carol: Nikki, a friend and colleague at The Visitor, is an inquisitive, innovative cook. She enjoys experimenting with flavor combinations, sampling dishes she hasn’t tried before and discovering new food-related products on the market. The social circle of  “foodies” that she and her husband, Bill, chum with continues to provide a convivial challenge of taking their small-group entertaining to the next culinary level.