Fruit Basket Upset

Every year, I think I should plant some herbs in my backyard. But then I admit that I'm the worst gardener ever, and I don't follow through.

When we were helping Brent paint at his new house a week ago, we discovered that the former homeowners had some mint growing just outside the back door. I had seen a couple of fruit salad recipes that included fresh mint in the dressing, so I decided I would collect my pay in fresh mint. (I don't know that we were worth even that much. As I told Brent:  You get what you pay for. Just in case you're considering hiring painters for a home improvement project, I wouldn't count on us. I don't think we'll be opening Mom and Pop Painting Services anytime soon.)

Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries were on sale at my hometown grocery store. And I had fresh mint straight from Manhattan. I added some green grapes for color and some watermelon because it's summertime. It makes a big salad, but the leftovers are great. Besides eating it for several meals, we also spooned it over waffles for our Sunday brunch after church. Yummy!

One of the recipes I referenced said to use 10 to 12 cups of assorted fruit, and it included apricots, honeydew and kiwi. Cantaloupe also would have added another color to the mix, so I will probably add that the next time, too. Combine whatever fruits you like - or the ones on sale for the week - and use the dressing over different combinations for a taste of summertime freshness. 

 

Mojito Fruit Salad

3 cups watermelon balls
2 cups strawberries, chopped
6 oz. raspberries
12 oz. blueberries
6 oz. blackberries
1 cup green grapes

Dressing:
1/3 cup freshly-squeezed lime juice
1/3 cup honey
1 tbsp. finely-minced fresh mint (about 8-10 leaves)

Wash all the fruit and combine in a large bowl. Mix together the dressing ingredients. Drizzle over fruit and toss gently. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes for the natural juices in the fruits to come out, and then serve. Refrigerate leftovers.

I served this as a fruit salad for a meal and had lots of leftovers. The next day, I served it as a fruit topping on waffles. It could also be used for the fruit component on a romaine- or spinach-based salad - with or without meat for a cool main dish. 

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