The 4th of July may be more than a week away, but I’m betting many people have their plans set and are determining the menu or what to bring to the gathering they’ll be attending. A flavorful mixture of fruit is always a welcome addition to the party. Adding mango to the more traditional fruits of strawberries, bananas, and blueberries adds a spark of excitement for the celebration! The Grand Marnier is optional, but even that minuscule amount of the orange-flavored liqueur (a blend of Cognac brandy, bitter orange, and sugar) adds a punch of intensity to the orange essence in the salad. And the small shot added to the fruit does not lend any alcohol taste to the dish. This is a refreshing and summery fruit salad with a hint of the tropics!

Fruit & Mint Salad

Fruit & Mint Salad (adapted from foodnetwork.com) Total Time Required: 40 minutes, Prep Time: 30 minutes, Yields: 4 to 6 servings, Makes: approximately 5 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 mango
• 1 cup (6 ounces) strawberries
• 2 kiwis
• 1 banana
• 2 navel oranges
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier, optional
• 3 to 5 sprigs fresh mint
• 1 cup (5 ounces) blueberries

Directions:

Peel and dice the mango and put it in a medium bowl.

First goes the mango.

Trim the calyx (stem end) from the strawberries and half or quarter them, depending on their size. Add them to the bowl with the mango in it.

Then the strawberries.

Peel and dice the kiwi. Add it to the bowl of fruit.

Kiwi, next!

Peel and slice the banana, adding the slices to the bowl.

Banana.

Cut the oranges in half. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut between the fruit and the peel, where the pulp and the rind meet, placing the knife at a right angle with the point toward the center to accommodate the curve of the fruit. With a sawing motion, cut around the fruit. Carefully slice on either side of each membrane separating the segments, starting in the center of the fruit and slicing outwards towards the peel. Add the orange segments to the bowl.

Add the orange segments after the banana.

Squeeze the juice from the remaining membrane over the bowl of fruit. Repeat with the other orange halves, covering the banana slices with the juice.

Squeeze the juice from the halves over the banana slices after the segment are added.

Lightly stir the honey and the Grand Marnier into the fruit. Strip the mint leaves off the stem and roughly chop them, then stir them into the fruit salad.

Add the honey, Grand Marnier and mint to the salad.

Last but not least, add the berries to the salad.

The fragile blueberries are added last.

Set the salad aside for 10 minutes or up to 2 hours before serving. Refrigerate any leftovers.

This feeds a crowd deliciously!

This is a great time for fruit salad!  ~Linda

Fruit & Mint Salad (adapted from foodnetwork.com) Total Time Required: 40 minutes, Prep Time: 30 minutes, Yields: 4 to 6 servings, Makes: approximately 5 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 mango
• 1 cup (6 ounces) strawberries
• 2 kiwis
• 1 banana
• 2 navel oranges
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier, optional
• 3 to 5 sprigs fresh mint
• 1 cup (5 ounces) blueberries

Directions:

Peel and dice the mango and put it in a medium bowl. Trim the calyx (stem end) from the strawberries and half or quarter them, depending on their size. Add them to the bowl with the mango in it. Peel and dice the kiwi. Add it to the bowl of fruit. Peel and slice the banana, adding the slices to the bowl.

Cut the oranges in half. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut between the fruit and the peel, where the pulp and the rind meet, placing the knife at a right angle with the point toward the center to accommodate the curve of the fruit. With a sawing motion, cut around the fruit. Carefully slice on either side of each membrane separating the segments, starting in the center of the fruit and slicing outwards towards the peel. Add the orange segments to the bowl, then squeeze the juice from the remaining membrane over the bowl of fruit. Repeat with the other orange halves.

Lightly stir the honey and the Grand Marnier into the fruit. Strip the mint leaves off the stem and roughly chop them, then stir them into the fruit salad. Add the berries and set the salad aside for 10 minutes or up to 2 hours before serving. Refrigerate any leftovers.