Conference turris::cooks

At a recent family outing, my cousin served a very pretty fruit salad
that could be doctored-up any number of different ways.

Her version:

Cut into bite size pieces - apples (you can leave the skin on), orange slices,
bananas, pears, watermelon, etc.  Add grapes, strawberries -- all this is
your choice, and use as much as you want or need.

The topping is what made it.  Mix a package small package of instant vanilla
pudding with an 8-oz. container of sour cream (don't make up the pudding,
just use the mix).  I couldn't believe it when she told me, because it
doesn't taste like either!  But, was it ever good on top of all that
fresh fruit!

Donna

    A very pretty and tasty salad is avocado and grapefruit.
    
    Place a leaf of boston lettuce on each plate and arrange
    slices of avocado and grapefruit sections on the lettuce.
    Dress with a light italian style dressing or a mixure
    of lemon juice, oil and herbs.

    Here's a real easy and quick fruit salad...
    
    1 cup mandarin oranges
    1 cup pineapple chunks
    1 cup shredded coconut
    1 cup miniture marshmallows
    1 cup sour cream
    
    Drain the fruit well and simply mix in the other ingredients.
    
    I actually cheat and just use the whole 11 oz. can of mandarin oranges
    and the whole 8 oz. can of pineapple.  Add some pecan pieces and
    halved maraschino cherries to the top and let set for at least two
    hours.  Tastes Great!
    
    
    

    I had this the other day, and it was great -- and is EASY to make:
    
    
    make a fruit salad with your favorite fruits
    include at least 1 CAN of fruit (other fruit can be fresh); I use
      canned pineapple
    drain the canned fruit
    add the canned fruit to the fresh fruit
    add to the canned fruit juice two boxes of instant vanilla pudding
      mix (don't make the pudding, just add the powdered mix) 
    whisk this until it starts to thicken
    pour over the fruit salad
    
    

    
    	I'd like to add this note before the end of summer is upon us.  
    
    There's no time like the present to obtain your favorite fresh fruit
    at a some what reasonable price. So to make the best of it, I like
    to buy several different types and make a fruit salad.
    I eat it at home as a snack, take it to work for break or desert,
    I even take it camping (my wife and kids love it).
    
    I is so simple (prep-work takes the longest) and so diversified,
    that anyone can make it and enjoy it.
                                  
    Here's my recipe. Let's hear from the rest of the world, What's
    yours?
    
    			Fresh Fruit Salad
    
    2 apples  (I like to use cortlands and Macs)
    2 peaches
    2 nectarines
    2 pears  (Bosc, Bartlett or anjou)
    1 bunch of seedless green grapes
    1 bunch of seedless purple grapes
    1 pint of blueberries
    1 small can of pineapple tidbits
    1/4 - 1/2 cantalope
    
                                                             
    Start by making the syrup. I use approx. 4 cups of water with 1/2-2/3
    cups of sugar. Boil mixture long enough to dissolve the sugar.
    Clean, peel, core and slice fruit into bite size pieces. Put all
    fruit into a large bowl. Pour hot syrup over fruit and stir. Let
    it cool, then refrig.
    
    Note: Make enough syrup to cover the fruit. Taste the syrup BEFORE
    adding to fruit. If its to sweet, pour some out and add some fresh
    water, re-boil. If its not sweet enough add more sugar, re-boil.
    If you want to use bananas, what I do is add them just before I
    put the fruit in the refrig. This helps them from getting mushy
    to quick.
    
    Most of all ENJOY! Have fun experimenting.
    
    al 
                                                               

    I made this on Sunday and was told it was the 'hit' of the party.
    
    On a large tray arrange:
    
    2 Nectarines, sliced
    2 Granny Smith apples, sliced
    1 lb Seedless green grapes
    1 lb Seedless red grapes
    2 cans Pineapple (Packed in its own juice...drained) OR
           1 fresh Pineapple sliced (bite size)
    1 pint strawberries
    
    Dip
    
    1/2 cup Ocean Spray cranberry/orange relish
    1 8 oz container of lemon OR orange yogurt.
    1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
    1/4 teaspoon ginger
    1   teaspoon vanilla
    
    Refrigerate dip for an hour before serving
    

    One of my favorite fruit salads is to mix whatever fresh (or canned,
    if you like the extra sweetness) fruit I can get my hands on, and then
    drizzle sour cream that has been mixed to taste with brown sugar over
    it.  I usually buy an 8oz. container of sour cream, add a tablespoon
    or two of brown sugar, and use it for salads, or a fresh fruit dip, or
    to drizzle over apple pie...be creative, it has many uses!
    
    Ellen
    

I always finish my dinner parties during the spring/summer/fall with the
fresh fruit tray and a dip of vanilla yoghurt cheese.  Even my guests that
HATE yoghurt, like the vanilla cheese.  To make it:

at least 24 hours before you desire to serve the cheese, take two quarts
of DANNON brand vanilla low-fat yoghurt and dump them into a fine-mesh
colander, lined with a double layer of damp cheese cloth (leave lots hanging
over the edge).  Set the colander onto a deep, narrow pan, so the bottom
of the colander is suspended in the pan.  bring the cheese cloth up over
the yoghurt and tie in loose knots.  cover the colander with foil to cover
and prevent food flavors from getting into the yoghurt.  Place in the
refrigerator and forget for at least 24 hours.  Drain the clear, straw-colored
liquid from the pot and replace in refrigerator until you use it...up to
36 hours.  When you are ready to serve the cheese, lift the cheese cloth
sling from the colander and turn the cheese out into a bowl - you will have
approx. 1 quart soft cheese.  Stir, not too hard or too long, but just to
smooth it out.  Taste and add super-fine sugar to taste, stirring just
long enough to mix each time you add sugar.  Stir in 1 - 2 teaspoons vanilla
if you wish.  I generally add 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla.
Serve with fresh fruit and pound cake spears.  Stand back.

super-fine sugar is also called castor sugar in U.K., it is NOT powdered
sugar which can thin out the cheese too much by turning liquid.  If not
found (C & H brand is sold in a white box with green trim, rather than pink
trim), use granulated sugar.

I use DANNON yoghurt as it is mild...some yoghurts are too tart for most folks
taste.

    As .2 stated about preparing the fruit salad, I also use whatever fresh 
    fruit I can get my hands on, only instead of adding sour cream and 
    brown sugar, I add tofu (cut into bite size cubes), wheat germ and honey.  
    
    Tony

    1 cup mandarine orange slices
    1 cup pinapple chunks
    1 cup miniature marshmallows
    1 cup shredded coconut
    1 cup sour cream
    
    Mix together and chill.
    

	 This is in reply to Bob who wanted ideas for presenting cut
	 up fruit for a New Years party.

	 Bob,
	
	 Sounds like she wants finger food, as opposed to fruit salad.
	 You could arrange the fruit like you might arrange veggies
	 and dip... all in separate bowls, then provide some sort of
	 yoghurt based (sweet) dip (sorry, I don't have a recipe
	 but I know there is one in this notes file).  Provide lots
	 of toothpicks.  Then everybody can pick a fruit, dip, and
	 eat!

	 Another suggestion... my mother does this... she takes fresh
	 pineapple, melon, grapes, cantelope, cuts them up into small
	 pieces (size of a melon ball) and puts three different pieces
	 of fruit on one of those longer cocktail picks (made of
	 plastic).  Kinda like a mini shish-kabob with fruit!

	 As far as types of fruit, stay away from citrus fruits unless
	 you decide to go with a salad... they are too juicy and
	 messy for finger food.  
	 
	 Karen

    
    As Karen suggested, dipping sized pieces; a dip could be in 
    the form of chocolate fondue (just had an informal one last week;
    we were all given fondue forks, bowls of cut fruit were presented
    on a tray in the middle was a dish of microwaved pre-packaged 
    chocolate fondue).
    
    Monica
    

    
    Frosted Melon Salad
    
    Melon (small honeydew or canteloupe works nicely)
    Fruit Gelatin (Jello, pick your flavor according to melon flavor/color)
     (Prepare according to box directions, but do not let it set!)
    Cream Cheese
    Milk
    Chicory (or other curly lettuce)
    Miracle Whip
    
    Peel a whole melon.  Cut a slice off an end and remove seeds.  Fill
    center with fruit gelatin and refridgerate until gelatin is firm.
    Slightly soften cheese with milk and frost the entire outisde of the
    melon.  Serve in slices on crisp chicory, with dressing.

Is the Miracle Whip the dressing, or is there a different dressing?

Thx!
Laura

    Yes.