Christmas Party in a Salad
This visually stunning salad featuring watermelon, camel milk Persian feta, beetroot and pomegranate seeds has been described as a Christmas party in a salad.
Chef and Scenic Rim Regional Food Ambassador, Brenda Fawdon created the recipe while co-authoring Eat Local Volume 2, a stunning hardcover book of wholesome recipes and stories celebrating the farmers, growers and makers of the Scenic Rim.
In the process of writing her recipes, Ms Fawdon visited local farmers including Summer Land Camels to hear their stories and see the evidence of their life’s work.
Ms Fawdon considered it such a privilege to meet the people who grow the food that ends up on our plate. It makes such a difference to our appreciation of that food, knowing something of the care and toil involved in the process – from seed to plant to harvest to market. After farm visits, I set out to create recipes that make the ingredients sing.
This salad combines an Aussie summer icon- watermelon, with an equally Australian ingredient- camel milk Persian Feta.
Camel milk cheese has grown in popularity amongst chefs and high-end restaurants and is now becoming a summer entertaining staple in cheese-loving homes around Australia.
Persian Feta – an Australian invention
Summer Land Camel’s said that this salad perfectly embodies the Australian Christmas. Everything from the festive colours, the combination of different textures and the summer flavours all combine to make this salad work so well at Christmas-time.
Many people don’t realise that Persian Feta is actually an Australian invention and our cheese is all sustainably hand-made on our farm in Queensland. It’s very difficult to make cheese from camel milk but the delicate structure of the milk gives it a clean yet bold flavour and an incredibly smooth mouthfeel.
Summer Land Camels’ Persian Feta won a silver medal at the Sydney Royal Show and has won dozens of blind tastings. Perhaps the most amazing thing about camel milk cheese is the health benefits.
No beta – Lactoglobulin
Camel milk is very high in immune proteins, vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and like human milk, it does not contain beta – Lactoglobulin.
This vibrant salad couples creamy, salty Persia Feta with sweet, juicy melon, lifted by the sharp tang of grapefruit and grounded by the earthy beetroot puree and will brighten any foodie’s Christmas table.
Check out the recipe here.
Photo Credit: Persian feta & watermelon salad with lime vinaigrette by Brenda Fawdon from Eat Local Volume 2. Image by Christine Sharp.
About Eat Local: Food, Farming and Conversation in the Scenic Rim:
Authors Brenda Fawdon and Christine Sharp return for a stunning second edition of Eat Local. This beautiful book celebrates a further 26 Scenic Rim farmers, growers and makers through candid conversations, more than 60 wholesome recipes, and stunning imagery.
Filled from cover to cover with full-colour photographs, Eat Local: Food, Farming and Conversation in the Scenic Rim Volumes 1 & 2 are both worthy contenders for a place on the coffee table, as much as on the recipe stand in the kitchen.
Author, chef, food teacher and presenter Brenda Fawdon is joined by author, photographer, editor and book designer Christine Sharp to make these comprehensive volumes, which champions the local farmer and real food. The books are an initiative of Scenic Rim Regional Council.
The books are available for purchase from www.eatlocalweek.com.au