Taste of Summer: Raw Presto Pesto Wraps and Mixed Melon Ball Salad

Alisa Fleming ~ This past week I reviewed and gave away (congrats to the Pure2Raw Twins!) a copy of  The Raw Truth: Recipes and Resources for the Living Foods Lifestyle by Jeremy Safron. For those of you who didn’t win, I have another taste to offer from this second edition publication. The author has graciously allowed me to share two recipes with you, and I think the ones I have selected are a nice representation of the ease you will find within The Raw Truth. Most of Jeremy’s recipes contain just a handful of ingredients, and require only a few steps of preparation.

Summer is certainly the perfect time to enjoy raw food recipes. They require absolutely no heat (well, some of the recipes do require a food dehydrator!), and take advantage of fresh, seasonal produce. As an added bonus, recipes like the ones below can be quite economical, since you can typically find an abundance of ingredients like basil, zucchini, and melons on sale in the summer months.

To note, the Pesto Wraps are great for a snack, lunch, or even entertaining, while the Mixed Melon Ball Salad simply begs to be featured on a picnic table …

Pesto Wraps

This recipe is reprinted with permission from The Raw Truth, Second Edition: Recipes and Resources for the Living Foods Lifestyle. Copyright © 2011 by Jeremy A. Safron, Celestial Arts, an imprint of Ten Speed Press, a division of the Crown Publishing Group, Berkeley, CA. Photo Credit: Eniko Perhacs.

This recipe is Vegan, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, and Sugar-Free.

• 3 Large Zucchini, peeled
• Pinch of Sun-Dried Sea Salt
• Juice Of 1/2 Lemon
• Presto Pesto:
• 2 Cups Chopped Walnuts
• 2 Cups Loosely Packed Fresh Green and Purple Basil Leaves
• 3 Cloves Garlic
• 1 Heaping Tablespoon Red Miso
• 2 Tomatoes, cubed
• Chopped Green and Purple Basil, for garnish

Using a vegetable peeler or mandolin, cut thin, wide strips lengthwise down the zucchini. Place the zucchini strips in a bowl, cover with water, add the sea salt and lemon juice, and soak for 2 hours, or until they taste clean (not starchy). Drain, rinse, and drain again.

To prepare the pesto, place the walnuts, basil leaves, and garlic in a homogenizer juicer or food processor and homogenize, creating an oily paste. Transfer the paste to a bowl and stir in the miso.

To prepare each wrap, lay a zucchini strip flat on your work surface. Drop a teaspoon of pesto in the center of the zucchini strip. Press a small piece of tomato into the pesto. Fold or roll up the zucchini strip. Secure the wrap by piercing it with a toothpick or place it, seam side down, on a serving plate. Serve garnished with the chopped basil.

Serves 4 to 6

Mixed Melon Ball Salad

This recipe is reprinted with permission from The Raw Truth, Second Edition: Recipes and Resources for the Living Foods Lifestyle. Copyright © 2011 by Jeremy A. Safron, Celestial Arts, an imprint of Ten Speed Press, a division of the Crown Publishing Group, Berkeley, CA. Photo Credit: Eniko Perhacs.

This recipe is Vegan, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free, and Sugar-Free.

• 1 Cantaloupe, halved and seeded
• 1 Honeydew Melon, halved and seeded
• 1 Watermelon, halved
• Juice of 2 Limes

Scoop out the flesh of the melons with a melon baller, place in a large serving bowl, and mix gently. Splash with the lime juice and serve.

Serves 4 to 6

Article by Alisa Fleming, founder of GoDairyFree.org and author of Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance, and Casein-Free Living. Alisa is also a freelance writer for several publications, with an emphasis on creating recipes for various types of special diets.