When I was growing up, my mom would cut up fresh fruit and arrange it on a plate with a shot glass full of toothpicks. She would also toss fresh fruit with some orange or lime juice and sugar. Taking inspiration from her, I came up with my own version: lime, lemon, a little maple syrup, and an herb syrup with rosemary or mint.

　　Cut your fruit into chunks rather than into small pieces; I find that small pieces of fruit get mealy and mushy. Make the salad the morning you're going to serve it, but if you're determined to make it the night before, cut up the fruit, store it in separate containers, and then toss it together in the morning. Use whatever fruit you'd like (bananas, apples, berries—the possibilities are endless), but unless you're using the ripest, sweetest seasonal fruit, add a little sugar.

Ingredients

　　1 pint strawberries, hulled and halved

　　1 half-pint raspberries

　　1 half-pint blueberries or blackberries

　　2 oranges, peeled and cut into sections

　　2 kiwis, peeled and cut into large chunks

　　1 mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into large chunks

　　1 papaya, peeled, pitted, and cut into large chunks

　　2 cups fresh pineapple cut into large chunks

　　1 cup cantaloupe or honeydew melon cut into large chunks

　　1/4 cup fresh mint, julienned

　　Basic , Herb , Mint-Maple or Citrus syrups

　　Fresh rosemary or mint sprigs if you're using Herb Syrup

　　Combine all the fruit in a large bowl and stir in one of the syrups. Garnish with the mint or rosemary sprigs if you're using Herb Syrup.

　　Reprinted with permission from Lulu Powers Food to Flowers: Simple, Stylish Food for Easy Entertaining by Lulu Powers with Laura Holmes Haddad, © April 2010 William Morrow