Fresh Ginger Fruit Salad Food

TROPICAL FRUIT SALAD WITH GINGER SYRUP

Steps:

• Combine the sugar, 1/4 cup water, ginger and lime zest in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until the sugar is melted. Remove it from the heat and refrigerate until cold.
• Strain the mixtures into a large bowl and toss in the strawberries, kiwis, mango, oranges, pineapple and papaya to coat. Cover and refrigerate again until cold, at least 1 hour.
• Serve in small bowls and garnish with the chopped mint.

HAWAIIAN FRESH FRUIT SALAD

Steps:

• For the dressing: Mix the lime juice, honey and ginger in a small bowl.
• For the fruit salad: Mix the fruit in a large salad bowl. Pour the dressing over the fruit and stir. Serve immediately if you use bananas.

FRUIT SALAD WITH GINGER SYRUP

Steps:

• Make syrup:
• Bring water, sugar, and ginger to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan, then stir until sugar is dissolved. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, then remove from heat and let steep 15 minutes. Pour ginger syrup through a sieve into a bowl, discarding ginger. Chill, covered, at least 2 hours.
• Make fruit salad:
• Toss fruit and mint with 1/4 cup syrup, or to taste.

GINGER SIMPLE SYRUP FOR FRESH FRUITS

Steps:

• Bring sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan over moderate heat. Add ginger and reduce heat to simmer. Stir until sugar dissolves and ginger infuses syrup, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and take out ginger. Cool and pour over chunks of pineapple, sliced kiwi, sliced bananas, or any of your favorite fruit combinations.

FRUIT SALAD WITH HONEY GINGER LIME DRESSING

Steps:

• All fruit should be washed and dried before being ready for the salad.
• Cut skin from pineapple, so no brown spots are left. Cut peeled fruit into quarters lengthwise, cut off core, then dice each quarter into approximate one-inch chunks. Place in large bowl.
• Peel and remove seeds from the cantaloupe, then cut into one-inch cubes. Place in bowl with pineapple.
• Halve or quarter strawberries, depending on size, and add to bowl.
• Slice each nectarine into about 10-12 slices, then gently pull each slice away from pit and add them to the bowl.
• Cut the ends off of kiwi fruits, then insert a small spoon just under peel of each, and slide it around the fruit, just under the peel, until the peel is separated from the fruit. Cut each peeled kiwi in half lengthwise, then each half into four or five slices. Add to the rest of fruit.
• Add blueberries and blackberries to the rest of fruit. Prepare dressing (below).
• In a small bowl (I actually prefer a mason jar to shake the ingredients together in), mix together honey, lime juice and zest, ginger (I use a microplane to grate it fine), and poppy seeds. Whisk well, then pour over fruit and toss gently to coat.
• (You can prepare this salad up to a day ahead of time, but keep the different kinds of fruit separated from each other just until serving, or the colors will bleed. It tastes best at room temperature. The dressing actually tastes better made a day in advance anyway).
• TIPS ON FINDING RIPE FRUIT: For pineapple, the skin should be slightly yellow, firm to the touch but not hard--will give a little. And, when a leaf near the top of the fruit is tugged gently, it should easily remove from the fruit. For cantaloupe, it should be firm but give slightly, a bit yellowish on the rind--those "veins" are a good sign--it means they were left long enough on the ground to ripen properly. And, if you poke a fingernail in the top "dime" spot, you should be able to smell the fruit. If you can't smell anything, it's not ripe. Strawberries should be shiny and fragrant. Nectarines should have a slight give and be fragrant. Blueberries and blackberries should be firm and deeply colored. Kiwi fruit should be firm, but not rock hard--must have a very slight "give".

GINGERED FRESH FRUIT SALAD

Steps:

• In 1-cup microwavable measuring cup, mix dressing ingredients. Microwave uncovered on High 20 to 30 seconds or until hot. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
• In very large bowl, mix salad ingredients. Pour dressing over fruit; toss gently to coat.