Presenting Seasonal Fruit in a Simple Way
• 29 July 2011
One of my favorite sides to serve family and friends is a simple, unadulterated fruit salad that's arranged in a pretty way. When it comes to presentation, good looks score big points! And, you don't have to buy fancy schmancy fruit to pull off a pretty fruit salad with success--even oranges and apples can be cut and arranged on a plate in an attractive way (when they are in season I'll make one and show you exactly what I mean). I find that if I cut up a piece of fruit in a way people aren't accustomed to, or mix in a small amount of an unlikely fruit, then people are more likely to eat it--this is surprisingly true for both children and adults alike! I'm also a big fan of dressing-free salads when it comes to fruit--I feel like any variety can stand on its own.
The above fruit salad was made in less than 5 minutes by combining a handful of Rainier cherries and white currants over a bed of blueberries. White currants are a special berry that is common in France, but not so much here in the US. I was really excited to spot a couple of baskets at a local grocery store and had to snatch one up! Have you ever spotted them where you live?
A few random notes on serving fruit:
1. Allow your fruit to ripen on your counter in a pretty bowl or on a plate. Once it's ripe, place the fruit in the fridge to chill; it doesn't matter if it's bananas, oranges, pineapple or cherries. For whatever reason, when fruit is cold it tastes sooo much better. When I'm prepping a meal, I'll often prepare the fruit first and then throw it in the fridge to chill while I finish up the rest of the food. I tend to press repeat on just about anything that's delicious, simple and make-ahead so we eat a lot of fruit...at least these days when it's so affordable!
2. Like vegetables to a frittata, you can pretty much grab whatever you have on hand and mix it together successfully. Don't spend a lot of energy thinking what works well together--pretty much anything goes!
image by Stephanie Brubaker for stephmodo
I'm a big fan of fruit by itself. I love fruit salad! Especially this time of year!
ReplyDeleteLovely fruit salad! However I totally disagree about cold fruit. To me it inhibits the flavors. Much better at room temperature!
ReplyDeleteWhen I first opened up your post in my reader I thought, WOW. What a simple yet beautiful photo! I must create this soon. I've never actually gone of my way to buy currants, but I'd love to try them in a summer salad!
ReplyDeleteIt's hard not to be in love with fruit at this time of year, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteAnd that photo. The composition and color? Fantastic.
Those white currants look so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteMmmm looks absolutely delicious! I like to do something similar but on a smaller scale in a martini glass. Looks very impressive served up as a dessert for friends with a small spoonful of vanilla mascarpone on top.
ReplyDeleteThank you for commenting on the photo...I appreciate that!
ReplyDeleteLove the idea of vanilla mascarpone on top for a dessert idea. Do you just whip the mascarpone with vanilla bean paste?