Enjoying the harmony of contrasts

Great taste often comes down to contrast.

It’s why we pair tender and crunchy textures, sweet and sour flavors, and hot and cold temperatures (think hot fudge sauce over vanilla ice cream). In a way, these contrasts amplify the flavors of the dish, making the food much more than a simple sum of the parts.

And it’s a technique well suited to healthy eating. Because by playing with contrasts, you are able to coax so much more from otherwise simple ingredients.

For example, this fruit salad from Arthur Potts Dawson’s new cookbook, “Eat Your Vegetables,” pairs cooling cucumber and refreshing watermelon and mango with spicy red and green chilies. There also is contrast between the sweetness of the fruit and the savory flavors of the sauce (which is made from fish sauce, mirin and olive oil).

The result is a delicious and healthy combination with far more flavor than your typical fruit salad.

Cucumber, Watermelon and Mango Salad

Using both chilies called for in this recipe makes for a dish with real kick. The heat is nicely moderated by the sweet watermelon and mango. But if you don’t like things spicy, back down to half the amount of chilies. Recipe adapted from Arthur Potts Dawson’s “Eat Your Vegetables,” Mitchell Beazley/Octopus, 2012 .

2 cups peeled, seeded and chopped cucumber

2 cups diced watermelon

2 cups diced fresh mango

3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, plus whole leaves to serve

1 red chili, thinly sliced

1 green chili, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon mirin

1/3 cup olive oil

Salt and ground black pepper

In a large bowl, combine the cucumber, watermelon, mango, chopped mint and red and green chilies. Mix gently.

In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the fish sauce, mirin and olive oil. Drizzle over the salad, then mix gently. Season with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with mint leaves.

Yield: 6 servings

Approximate nutrition per serving: 170 calories, 12 grams fat (1 g gram saturated, 65 percent fat calories), 1 gram protein, 17 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 2 grams dietary fiber, 320 milligrams sodium.