Fruit Salad with Lime, Honey, & Mint
The first time I made this salad it lead me to a very important realization.
I was headed to a potluck a few of my friends were hosting, and with little time to prepare I threw together a big kale salad and this fruit salad for desert, dressed up with some fresh mint and lime juice. When I arrived at the potluck there were a lot of yummy treats. Chips and dip, a cheese board, brownies, cupcakes. But to my surprise, my friends couldn't get enough of my salads. Everyone went in for seconds, and a lot of the cheese and bread was left untouched. That's when I realized that people not only want, but enjoy eating healthier food, you just have to give them the option to.
My professor told me a similiar story from a conference she attended in the U.S. The refreshment table at the conference was full of pop, cookies, and potato chips, but when my professor whipped out the bag of clementines she had bought, she ended up handing them out to the other conference-goers, who were also looking for a healthier snack.
I know if I was faced with the choice between a bag of chips and an apple I'd go for the fruit everytime, but without the option I may end up with an oversized muffin or cookie. Lessoned learned: don't be afraid to bring a kick-ass salad to a party!
This mint and lime in this fruit salad is subtle, giving it a certain je ne sais quoi. Both these flavours pair excellently with fruit, and really enhance their flavour.
For my salad I chose to use a sweet honey dew melon, blueberries, grapes, and the local strawberries have just come into season, so I picked up some of those too. Really you can use whatever combination of fruit you like. Pineapple, canteloupe, watermelon, or blackberries would all be wonderful. I particularly like the addition of apples, for some crunch.
Ok, but how good do these strawberries look? Bravo, Nova Scotia.
This spring I planted an herb garden, and have been loving it. Growing your own is much easier than I anticipated, and it is so awesomely convenient to be able to just cut off a sprig or two everytime I need some herbs. Not to mention, it's way cheaper than buying them from the store.
This makes a perfect light desert, and then the leftovers can be eaten the next morning for breakfast. Allowing time for the fruit to sit, helps the flavours develop and they become even more juicy and delicious.
Fruit Salad with Lime, Honey, & Mint
serves 4
1 honey dew melon, chopped into chunks
1 cup of seedless grapes, cut in half
1/2 pint of blueberries (or your favorite berry)
2 cups of strawberries, chopped
3 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 tsp lime zest
1/2 tbsp honey
1 1/2 tbsp of finely chopped mint
1. Combine the chopped melon, grapes, strawberries, and blueberries in a large bowl.
2. Whisk together the lime juice, lime zest, honey, and mint, pour over the fruit, and toss to combine. Cover and allow to rest in the fridge for an hour or so to let the flavours develop before serving.