Savory Fall Fruit Salad

Do you find your mouth watering as you walk through the farmers market in early fall? The colors are glorious. The sugar is up. The flavors are outstanding. What to eat first?

Here is a suggestion. Combine a number of those lovelies into a savory salad. There is a window of time when the late summer crops and early winter crops are being harvested at the same time…at least that is the case here in California’s Central Valley. What a time for a salad like this!

If you like fruit salsas, you will love this combination. The flavor is bright and as hot as you want it. What differentiates this from a salsa is that the fruit is in large chunks. It’s too beautiful to mince it up. The grapes look like pieces of art and the different textures reflect light in a myriad of ways. Yes, leave the fruit in pieces!

Savory Fall Fruit Salad Ingredients

• 2 crisp apples, peeled, cored and cut in pieces
• 1 clump of red seedless grapes, washed and stemmed
• 1 orange, peeled, seeded, flesh removed from the segment membranes
• 1 large red pepper, roasted, peeled, and sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, roasted and mashed
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sumac
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• salt and pepper to taste
• fresh basil for garnish

Savory Fall Fruit Salad Steps

1. Gently combine the fruit in a large salad bowl.
2. Add the roasted pepper. Any time I roast vegetables I roast a head or two of garlic to use in almost everything. Pull out two cloves and mash them thoroughly with a fork.
3. Add the mashed garlic to a small bowl. Pour in the olive oil, balsamic, sumac, and cayenne. Mix together. Pour over the fruit mixture and gently toss.
4. Taste for salt and pepper. Taste for the other seasonings. You may want more sumac or cayenne. You may even decide to mince up some fresh basil to add to your creation. Perhaps a tablespoon of your favorite hot sauce is exactly what this salad needs. Put it together to make your heart sing.
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