Get excited, because this isn’t your ordinary fruit salad. You know, the kind that is sold at the grocery store with cantaloupe, strawberries, grapes, and pineapple… all equally unripe and lacking in flavor? Yea, that just won’t cut it here in the LYK. Instead, I urge you all to go grab some fresh produce from the local farmer’s market, or a similar place for good produce, and create your own scrumptious summer fruit salad!

Why white balsamic? Well, besides the fact that it just sounds so exotic, it is just a lighter version, both in color and flavor, of the normal balsamic vinegar. Since this particular bottle is not aged, it needs to be reduced (in my opinion) in order to thicken it up, and also saturate the sweet and zingy taste.

So, here we go…!

Get choppin’!

Start reducin’

Get muddlin’ and mixin’

Put them all together, and what do you get??

Mix to coat well. You don’t want to be the one to leave some fruit naked. How embarrassing would that be??!!

Ladies and Gents, I present you with the loveliest fruit salad in all of town.

I think, a little garden grown organic mint will do the trick! Obviously you can go buy some, but it’s just so much easier to galavant outside and pick some fresh mint from your neighbor’s garden. [don't worry, I got permission first ]

Here’s a little something, I know that you all will enjoy during the nice hot summer months!

If you must know, once the fruit was all gone from the bowl, and just the syrupy balsamic-honey liquid was left, I simply saved it for a quick and easy dessert the next night! I sliced up another package of strawberries, added some fresh mint, a tablespoon of really good aged balsamic, mixed it up and let it chill in the fridge for an hour or so. Then I sliced a few big hunks of airy angel food cake, then drizzled some of that same aged balsamic directly onto the cake, spooned on a hearty portion of strawberries, and of course] topped with a dollop of freshly whipped cream with a hint of vanilla!

NOM. Super simple, easy and a great way to capitalize on all of those fantastic summer berry deals!! Not to mention, it will look and taste so gourmet with the addition of good balsamic and hint of mint!

Ingredients:

2 1-lb package of strawberries, quartered

1 peach, cubed

1 mango, cubed

1 medium honeydew melon, cubed (about 3 cups)

1 12-oz package of blueberries

1 12-oz package of blackberries, halved

1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar, reduced to 1/4 cup

1/3 cup honey

1/2 lemon, juiced

½ cup mint, julienned (plus more for garnishing)

Directions:

Cut up the fruit and set aside in a large bowl. With a small skillet over high heat, allow the white balsamic to come to a boil and reduce the liquid until about half of the amount is left (about 4-5 minutes).  Let cool for a minute or two before adding to the honey and mint, in a separate container. Immediately start to muddle the mint in with the honey and hot balsamic, to release the flavor. Cover and set the dressing in the fridge until it has cooled down. Squeeze the lemon half over the fruit, and then pour the balsamic-honey-mint dressing over the top, mixing to coat well. Garnish with more chopped up mint.

Little Yellow Note: If you not serving this salad within the hour, wait to dress the salad, so the fruit stays crisp. Just be sure to squeeze the lemon over the fruit to keep it in good shape.

From the Little Yellow Kitchen,

Chrissy