Fresh Fruit Salad With Pomegranate Food

EASY WINTER FRESH FRUIT SALAD

Steps:

• Place the fruit in a serving bowl. (If using pears, because they sometimes darken faster than apples, I like to toss them with a light squeeze of lemon juice before adding to the salad.)
• Whisk together the dressing ingredients and pour over the fruit and toss to combine.
• The fruit salad can be made a couple hours ahead of time - keep in mind that depending on what type of fruit is used, the colors may seep into each other as the salad sits.

FRESH FRUIT SALAD WITH POMEGRANATE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine pomegranate juice and sugar. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half. Stir in tangerine zest; cool to room temperature., In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Pour pomegranate mixture over fruit; toss gently to coat. Serve immediately with a slotted spoon.

WINTER CITRUS & POMEGRANATE FRUIT SALAD

Steps:

• Place the pomegranate on a surface that won't stain. Starting at the crown, cut a cross into the fruit about halfway down. Put a large bowl in the sink and, holding the pomegranate crown side down over the bowl, break it apart into quarters. Squeeze each quarter firmly over the bowl to release the seeds and juice, then bend each quarter back to release more seeds. (Don't worry about getting all the seeds out. What you really want is the juice, so squeeze the pomegranate again to release the juice from any remaining seeds still attached to the fruit.) Pick out any bits of the white membrane so all that remains in the bowl are seeds and juice.
• For the oranges and grapefruits, cut a slice off the top and bottom of each fruit so they sit flat on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, work your way around the fruits to remove all the skin and pith. Cupping the fruit in one hand and working over the bowl, carefully cut the segments out from between the membranes. (Be sure to cut only until you reach the middle of the fruit!) Firmly squeeze the remaining membranes over the bowl to release all the juices. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Be sure to serve this fruit salad in bowls, so the juice can be spooned up with the fruit.
• Note: Pomegranate juice will stain wooden cutting boards and some countertops. To be safe, you can cut pomegranates on disposable plastic shopping bags.

THANKSGIVING FRUIT SALAD

Steps:

• Add the sugar, dried cranberries, rosemary, cinnamon stick and 1/2 cup water to a small pot. Using a vegetable peeler, peel 1 large strip of zest from one of the oranges and add to the pot. Set over medium heat, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring to dissolve the sugar and pressing the solids down into the mixture, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and cool the syrup to room temperature.
• Discard the rosemary, cinnamon and orange zest. Strain the syrup through a sieve into a small bowl; set aside. Add the cranberries to a large bowl.
• Remove the remaining zest from the oranges using a paring knife, following the shape of the fruit. Carefully cut between the sections to release whole segments and add to the bowl with the cranberries. Add the red and green grapes, pomegranate seeds, pears and apples to the bowl and toss together.
• Pour half the reserved syrup over top of the fruit and toss to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate, tossing occasionally, for at le1 hour and up to 4 to let the fruit marinate in the syrup. Before serving, taste and add additional syrup as desired.