Finger lime & cranberry salad

My friend Sol and I hit the local farmers market a few weeks ago where we found finger limes to be in season. Unfortunately, I completely forgot I had bought them. luckily and despite the iffy outer skin, the little burst of lime in the middle were still juicy and delicious. I used them in an amazing brown rice salad with feta, cranberries, sweet potatoes, baby spinach and slivered almonds.

Finger limes are rainforest trees found in southeast Queensland and northern NSW. The fruit can be up to 10cm in length and 2-3cm in diameter. The fruit has a thin skin which can be green, brown, yellow, red, purple or even black. The flesh, or vesicles, are little balls of juice which are versatile and have been compared to caviar in appearance, but certainly not taste.

Source: Daleys Fruit Tree Nursery

I decided to use the finger lime vesicles to add a tangy twist to a gourmet brown rice salad.

This salad has seven core ingredients (quantities make 2 serves):

• Brown rice – I was lazy and used a packet of 2-minute microwave rice. One packet will make 2 salads
• Sweet potato – Cut sweet potato into cubes (you will need about a cup). Microwave, boil or steam until al dente. Finish off in a lightly oiled fry pan until the sweet potato is cooked through and browned on the outside
• Baby spinach – chop a handful of spinach into slivers
• Feta – cube 50g the feta
• Cranberries – amazing as they are! Use about 2 tablespoons
• Slivered almonds – toast 2 tablespoons of slivered almonds in a dry frypan until browned
• Finger limes – scoop out the flesh of two small or one large finger lime. If your finger limes are a tad old, you may need to use more to get the same tang

Mix all ingredients in a bowl with good quality olive oil. You may also want to add a sprinkle a salt. Up to you.

Outcome: The salad was AMAZING – tasty, refreshing, healthy, flavoursome. The different ingredients have varied flavours and textures which tantalise the tastebuds and create a party in your mouth.

Ingredients: 200g cooked brown rice, 1C diced sweet potato, 2T dried cranberries, 2T slivered almonds, 50g feta, handful sweet potato, 2 small or one large finger lime, vegetable oil, olive oil, salt.

Equipment: frypan, bowl, chopping board, knife

Steps:

1. Cook the brown rice (or cheat and use a 2 serve packet of microwave brown rice)
2. Toast the almonds in a dry frypan until browned
3. Cube the sweet potato, par cook in the microwave, steamer or by boiling (I microwaved) and fry in a small amount of vegetable oil until cooked
4. Chop the baby spinach
5. Cube the feta
6. Scoop out the flesh of the lime
7. Mix everything in a bowl with olive oil and (optional) salt.