Prosciutto, Date, And Nut Salad

Prosciutto, date, and nut salad

The Paleovirtus womenfolk were having steaks.

I’d had a largish lunch, and couldn’t quite see myself managing a whole lump of beef.

I wanted a salad, but something with a bit of body behind it, if you follow.

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Fish, Flesh, and Fruit Salad

Fish, flesh, and fruit salad

Yesterday’s free time had already been promised to other projects, in particular some much needed computer maintenance.

I’d even pencilled in a soccer match on TV , on the assumption that the pointy-clicky technical stuff would go according to plan.

This meant that kitchen time was going to be in short supply. A salad seemed the obvious choice here.

A Thoroughly International Breakfast

Breakfast of champions

Flubbada-flubbada-flubbada-flubbada-flubbada…

There is no other sound like it.

It is the sound of a deflated bicycle tyre labouring over a tiled section of pavement. It is not a sound you particularly want to hear at 5:27 am, on a dark, bitterly cold Wednesday morning, with a gale once again whipping in from the sea.

Prosciutto e melone

Parma ham and melon

Prosciutto e melone – Parma ham and melon.

To some, this classic starter will be forever stuck in a 1970s time-warp, as dated and clichéd as flares, Cuban heels, and kipper ties.

We think this is complete and utter nonsense!

In our opinion, this wonderful way to start a meal has stood the test of time because it does everything a great starter should do.

It is what it is, and doesn’t try to be anything other. No tricks, no gimmicky garnishes, just great tasting simple, honest fare.

It’s also about as hardcore, old-school Paleo as you are likely to get. Fruit and meat. Cold pressed oil. More fruit, dried and ground. Bingo, bullseye, jackpot.

As long as you get hold of good, fresh, quality ingredients, you simply cannot go wrong. It is the culinary equivalent of shooting the proverbial fish in a barrel.

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Ingredients

• any firm melon, such as Honeydew, or Canary.
• A good quality prosciutto, containing the flesh of a good pig, salt, and bugger-all else.
• extra-virgin olive oil
• black pepper

Method

• Cut the melon in half, and scoop out the seeds.
• With a cheese plane, shave off very thin slices of melon.
• If you’re a fussy type, remove the thin outer edge of rind from the melon slices.
• Plate up – our preference here at Paleovirtus Towers is for 6 slices of melon and 3 slices of prosciutto . Arrange the melon and prosciutto in a casual yet classy manner.
• Drizzle over a tiny sploot of extra-virgin olive oil.
• Season the plate with a hint of black pepper.
• Serve, smiling to yourself at the thought of what all those trendy kids are missing out on.