Wonderful watermelon

In the UK, summer seems to have disappeared! Fortunately, though, the gorgeous seasonal fruit hasn't. This really is my favourite time of year for delicious, fragrant fresh fruit that's packed full of flavour and fabulous nutrients to keep us healthy.
Global markets means we can have most fruit all year round, but with a hefty cost both environmentally and flavour wise. Those force fed strawberries that land on the super market shelves in early February are always disappointing and are nothing compared to ones that are locally grown and ripened in the early summer sun.

As well as flavour, the other great benefit of eating summer fruits in the summer is that they provide you with specific nutrients that protect the part of you that's at risk at this time of year - your skin.
The strong summer sun (when it decides to come out!) can play havoc with skin; too much UV exposure is connected to a wide variety of issues from wrinkles to cancer. It's those naughty free-radicals that cause the damage. Fruits such as raspberries, nectarines, tomatoes and watermelon are packed with anti-oxidants - vitamin C and other phytonutrients - that mop up the free radicals and prevent long term damage.
I don't tend to buy watermelon whilst in the UK as it can be really expensive, particularly after living in India where they are locally grown and seriously cheap! But being summer, the prices are currently more reasonable, so I'm taking advantage of this delicious giant fruit.
As the name suggests, watermelons contain a lot of water - 92%. So it's really hydrating and great for a hot day. But on top of that, it also contains a surprisingly large number of nutrients that really help our bodies in different ways. For a start, the bright red/pink flesh contains a load of lycopene, a phytonutrient renowned for its' ability to help prevent and reduce cancers, particularly prostate and ovarian. It's even a more concentrated source than tomatoes, which are usually recognised as having fabulous lycopene levels.

It's also great for keeping our guts happy and healthy, with a good fibre content and lots of anti-inflammatory amino acids such as choline and citrulline. Research shows that citrulline also helps to keep blood pressure under control and can reduce muscle soreness and increase recovery time after intense exercise. I decided to try this out the other day after my morning training run by blitzing some watermelon flesh in the blender to produce juice (but with the fibre included). I'm not sure if it made any difference, but it certainly tasted good!
And as mentioned above, watermelon contains good amounts of vitamin A and C which help support our skin and hair so not only will it help hydrate you on a hot day, it will also repair sun damage and keep those wrinkles at bay. That's got to be good!
Because of it's crisp, crunchy texture, watermelon is great in quick summer salads. I love this combination of watermelon, spinach, avocado and pine nuts - it's super tasty and has a good mix of textures. The avocado will help increase the absorption of vitamin A as well as give a great helping of lovely vitamin E, another skin enhancing vitamin, and healthy fats. Pine nuts have been added in just because they make me think of summer (plus they are a fabulous source of manganese as well as healthy fats and fibre), but you could use walnuts, or pumpkins seeds if preferred.
So if you're sunning yourself on a Mediterranean beach or just waiting at home for the sun to come back out, why not add a little watermelon into your diet - your skin will love you for it!
Watermelon, spinach, avocado and pine nut salad (serves 2)

1 slice watermelon chopped into cubes
2-3 handfuls baby spinach
1-2 handfuls pea shoots or lambs lettuce
1-2 spring onions or half small onion, sliced
1 tablespoon pine nuts, lightly toasted
1 small ripe avocado, sliced
drizzle flaxseed oil (optional)
salt and pepper
Scatter the leaves in two bowls and add the chopped watermelon and onion. Mix together lightly with your hands then scatter the avocado and pine nuts over the top. Drizzle a little oil around and season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Super Sunday Salad

Sometimes, the simple things are the best, particularly when it comes to food. Fresh, undiluted and natural flavours beat anything that's been highly processed or manufactured. And of course, nutritionally speaking, whole and complete provides a wonderful range of minerals, vitamins and phytonutrients that our bodies need, not just to stay healthy, but to positively glow with energy and vitality.

As a family, the main Sunday meal is treated as a bit of an occasion in our house, sometimes the only time we all get to sit down and eat together. In winter, it tends to be a plant-based roast or stew of some kind, summer a BBQ.  This weekend, though, has been a bit different, with parties and meals out for all, so that by the time it came to Sunday, most of us were a bit overfed, and the fridge was looking rather forlorn! So rather than go grand, we had this beautifully simple but wonderfully delicious salad, light enough to sooth the overfed, and filling enough to satisfy a giant boy's hunger!

New potatoes have been coming in our veg box for a couple of weeks now; organic new potatoes really are the best and have an actual flavour, unlike many mass produced potatoes that are bland and unrewarding on the taste front. Dieters tend to avoid the lowly spud, but when boiled or steamed and served without lashing of butter they are pretty good for you, with a hefty amount of vitamin B6 which is involved in many cell activities and enzymes, and plays a particular roles in keeping the nervous system and heart healthy. Potatoes also contain good amounts of potassium and vitamin C, as well as other phytonutrients, some of which are only just being discovered. And of course, potatoes (unadorned with fat or fried) are a good source of fibre, essential for a healthy gut. Keeping the skins on potatoes, particularly easy with new ones, maximises the nutrient content, as most are stored in or just under the skin, which is why organic is better so pesticide residues are minimised.

I love the dressing on this salad, as I used a vinegar I made a few weeks ago whilst on a foraging course. The day was so much fun, and I learnt loads about spring flowers, leaves and shoots that can be freely eaten; some of the flavours were incredible, particularly the flowers of wild garlic that have an incredibly intense garlic flavour and the strong wasabi-like taste of  leaves of the pretty pink cuckoo flower. My vinegar had wild garlic and ground ivy infused into it, and tastes beautiful, making the salad dressing particularly gorgeous.
We ate these with baked vegetable and bean patties served in a large lettuce leave; recipe to come soon. The salad can stand alone as a lunch or complete supper, so why not give it a go - it doesn't have to be a Sunday, any day will do!
New potato, asparagus and spinach salad

450g new potatoes
150g baby spinach
1 bunch asparagus
2 large vine ripened tomatoes
handful pumpkin seeds
handful fresh parsley
juice 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon cider vinegar (flavoured if you have it)
salt and pepper
Boil or steam the potatoes until tender, drain and leave to cool. Steam asparagus and leave to cool. Chop potato and tomatoes into bite sized pieces, slice asparagus length ways and put into a bowl with the spinach, mixing together with your hands so everything is combined. Pour over the dressing, mix again then garnish with seeds and parsley and season to taste. Enjoy!