Mix Fruit Salad with Black Pepper & Honey

Prep / Total: 50 minutes            Makes  10  servings

Looking for ways to jazz up your basic fruit salad this summer? Consider giving it a hit from the savory side of the food world.
It’s not something we often think of, but ingredients we generally consider savory or spicy can provide a delicious contrast when added to a sweet and juicy fruit salad. Where to start? Something as simple as thinly sliced fresh basil adds a peppery bite to a salad of strawberries, watermelon and grapes.
For even more bite, consider adding very thinly sliced jalapeno peppers  (I bet you saw that one  coming) the heat  ; -D.  The best way to do this is to slice a fresh pepper in half, scrape out the seeds and ribs, then use a mandoline to slice the pepper paper-thin. Mix into the salad for a great sweet-and-heat blend.
And no matter what savory element you add, make sure to also add a pinch of salt. It won’t make the salad taste salty, but it will highlight the natural sweetness of the fruit.

1                  quart. strawberries, halved
1                  pint. blueberries
1                  mango (about 1 pound), peeled, pitted and diced
1                  20-ounces jar grapefruit segments, drained
2                  nectarines, cut into 1-inch pieces
3                  plums, cut into 1-inch pieces
Pinch of salt
½                 teaspoon ground black pepper
1                  tablespoon lime juice
2                  tablespoons  honey

1 .          In a large bowl, gently mix together the strawberries, blueberries, mango, grapefruit segments, nectarines and plums.
2 .         In a small bowl, whisk together the salt, pepper, lime juice and honey. Drizzle the dressing over the fruit and stir gently to coat.