FRESH FRUIT SALAD

 Saturday I made some absolutely awesome Chocolate Brownie Oatmeal Cookies (to be shared later) and since the recipe made 7-1/2 dozen cookies, I shared them with several of our neighbors. When I took some to Neighbors Sara and Sly, Sara invited us over the next day for a light lunch before the Chiefs' football game.

Sara and Sly moved back to the area a year ago after living in Atlanta for five years. When they were here before, Sara was our handbell choir director at the church. Neither of us knew we were going to be neighbors when they bought the house on our street. Even though we had good intentions, we haven't been able to socialize together. They have a big deck on the back of their house that made keeping our social distance easy.

Sara contributed a green salad, curry chicken salad, and bread and I made a fresh fruit salad. I needed something to especially keep the bananas and apple wedges fresh and didn't really want to use yogurt or sour cream. This recipe turned out great.

I didn't really measure the amount of fruit I used, but I did measure the "dressing". It really isn't a dressing but I don't know what to call it. You can also use whatever fruit you wish to use. I used what I had on hand. If you feel you have more fruit than the dressing can coat, just make another batch of it.

FRESH FRUIT SALAD

Your choice of fresh fruit. I used:

Strawberries

Red grapes

Cantaloupe

Apples (unpeeled)

Bananas

Water/lemon juice solution for apple wedges and banana slices

DRESSING

2     tablespoons lemon juice

2     tablespoons lime juice

2     teaspoons pure maple syrup

1/2  teaspoon ground ginger

pinch of salt

I prepared the fruit: hulled the strawberries and cut them in wedges, and washed 2 small apples and cut in wedges and sliced the bananas

(I put each of these fruits in a bowl of cold water and lemon juice - I didn't measure just poured about a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice in the bowl with the iced water - to keep them from turning brown until I could combine all of the fruit together with the dressing.) I had already cut up a cantaloupe the day before. The grapes I just separated apart.

I combined the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl  until blended.

I layered the fruit in a large bowl and

poured about half of the dressing over the fruit. I gently tossed the fruit in the bowl mixing the fruit with the dressing.

Then I poured the rest of the dressing over the fruit and tossed some more.

I covered the bowl with plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator until we were ready to leave (about 15 minutes)

The leftovers I kept in the bowl, stirred the fruit to keep it coated with the dressing, and covered with plastic wrap. We finished eating the fruit the next day and Wayne enjoyed drinking the dressing.

It was a fun afternoon socially distanced and all, and we all look forward to more get-togethers in the future.