About Fruit Salads
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What makes a good fruit salad? Luscious, ripe, fresh fruit that is sweet and firm with its own distinct flavor. Use fruits that mingle well. The pieces of fruit should be uniform in size and easy to eat. Each of the fruits should keep its own characteristic taste. Make and serve fruit salad fresh when possible and strive for good contrast in color and texture.
What makes a bad fruit salad? Unripe or over-ripe fruit with spoiled spots that go untrimmed. Don't mix fruits that aren't compatible, for instance, the acidity in grapefruit will overwhelm the delicate taste of melon. Fruit should be neatly cut and in not too large pieces. Don't prepare too far ahead or the fruits become limp and drained of their vitality. Avoid dullness in color and texture.
Fruit Salad Combinations....
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Use crisp lettuce or watercress as a bed for some salads or one or two sprigs of mint on top of the fruit. The following proportions are for one serving; multiply for number served.
1). 1/2 cup sliced peaches, 1/4 cup diced pears, 1/4 cup seedless grapes, dressed with 2 teaspoons mayonnaise thinned with 1 teaspoon cream, or nut Pascagoula dressing.
2). 1/2 cup grapefruit sections, 1/2 cup banana slices, 1 tablespoon pomegranate seeds, if available, dressed with French dressing or a sweeter one if you prefer, like Cleveland.
3). 1/3 cup papaya cubes, 1/3 cup kiwi slices, 1/3 cup hearts of palm cut in rounds, dressed with 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon lime juice, and 1 teaspoon honey blended together, or lime dressing.
4). 1/3 cup pineapple cubes, 1/2 cup avocado slices, 1/3 cup mango slivers. 2 tablespoons grated coconut, dressed with 1 teaspoon lime juice blended with 2 teaspoons mayonnaise, or pineapple honey dressing.
5). 1/3 cup pineapple cubes, 1/3 cup cantaloupe balls, 5 strawberries, no dressing.
6). 3/4 cup orange slices, 1/4 cup thin red onion rings, dressed with 1 tablespoon French dressing.
7). 1/3 cup cantaloupe balls, 1/3 cup honeydew melon balls, 1/3 cup watermelon balls, served with mint sprig and lime wedge.
8). 1 orange, sectioned, 1/2 banana, thinly sliced, dressed with 1 teaspoon lemon juice blended with 1 teaspoon honey.
9). 1/3 cup chopped apples, 1/3 cup orange sections, 1/2 cup sliced bananas, dressed with poppy-seed dressing.
10). 1/4 cup chopped apples, 1/4 cup orange sections, 1/4 cup sliced bananas, 1/4 cup seedless grapes, dressed with 2 teaspoons mayonnaise and 2 teaspoons sugar blended together.
Credit: google images
Mixed Combinations;
Prunes stuffed with cream cheese and walnut or pecan halves
Pear halves, pitted cherries, watercress
cantaloupe rings with a small mound of raspberries in the center
Fruit Salad Addtions;
Sliced kumquat, blueberries, raisins, dried cranberries, elderberries, nuts, cottage cheese, celery, cucumber, chopped dates.
Fruit Salad Dressing Recipes
French Dressing
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
`/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup olive oil or salad oil
1/3 cup honey
Blend well, store in jar with air-tight lid. Shake or stir well before serving.
Makes 4 servings
Nut Pascagoula Dressing
5 pecans halves, blanched
10 almonds, blanched
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon catsup
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar
5 tablespoons salad oil
Grind nuts or whirl in a blender to pulverize. Add the mustard, paprika, catsup, sugar and vinegar. Blend slowly add oil, then salt to taste.
Makes 1/2 cup
Pineapple Honey Dressing
1/2 cup honey
3 tablespoons crushed pineapple
1/4 cup lemon juice
salt
Combine honey, pineapple, and lemon juice in a jar, cover with snug fitting lid, and shake until well blended. Add salt to taste, if needed.
Lime Dressing
1/4 cup salad oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
salt to taste
Combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake until well blended.
Makes 1/3 cup
Cleveland and Poppy Seed Dressings
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup vinegar
1 cup salad oil
salt
Combine the dry mustard, sugar, paprika, and vinegar in a bowl and chill. With electric mixer or hand beater, slowly add salad oil, beating constantly. Beat until thickened. Add salt to taste.
Makes 1-3/4 cups
For poppy-seed; substitute lemon juice for vinegar and add 1 tablespoon poppy seeds. Mix well.
