Fruit Salad in Winter

Salads are good anytime, but a fruit salad in the winter or early Spring is a great thing.

• 1 lime
• 3 oranges (blood oranges if available)
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp. Cointreau
• 1 pink grapefruit (only if not on cholesteral medicine)
• 2 kiwi fruit (gold if you can get it), peeled and sliced
• 2 apples, cored and sliced
• 2 Asian pears, sliced – not peeled
• 2 cups (1 cup red, 1 cup green) seedless grapes, cut in half
• 1/2 cantaloupe melon
• 1/2 seedless watermelon
• l  1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup whipped cream

To make the syrup, squeeze the juice from the lime and one orange into a small saucepan,  add the water and sugar. Over medium heat , stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, add the vanilla and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the liqueur and let cool.

Segment the oranges and grapefruit (if using) by cutting away the peel  and pith. Place fruit in a bowl and cut away the segments from between the membrane. Be sure to squeeze the juice left in the segments.

Add the sliced kiwi, apple, pear and halved grapes. Remove all the rind and “white” from the melons and cube*. Add to the bowl and pour the syrup over all the fruit. Stir gently to coat. Cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight.

Divide into your prettiest bowls, using a slotted spoon, add some whisked yogurt and whipped cream  and spoon some of the syrup over the top.

Garnish with a glass of wine….did you think I would say anything else?

* The hard bit closest to the rind is not to be eaten. Cut into the flesh of the melons and cube.