Food - Drink
Take Your Fruit Salad To The Next Level With One Simple Ingredient
By KAREN GRECO
The unofficial start of summer is nearly here, which means it's the official start of fruit season, and what better way to appreciate the bounty than with a gorgeous fruit salad. This one simple addition can take yours to the next level, and it comes directly from the dish’s history.
When fruit cocktail arrived, it was literally a cocktail, fruit spiked with booze. The prohibition era removed the booze from the cocktail, so canners added sweet syrup instead, and now a homemade, infused simple syrup can turn a boring bowl of cut-up fruit into the star of the dessert table.
The key is the infusion. Light herbs like mint, basil, or culinary lavender work great, as do fresh ginger or vanilla beans for a more flavorful syrup, or even a spicy to chili pepper for a bit of heat. This simple addition elevates fruit salad to a sophisticated centerpiece for your next celebration.