Salad for Dessert

Although I love baking cakes and making rich chocolate sweets, the desserts I make most often in the warm months are salads of fresh summer fruit.

This time of year I can’t resist buying fruit every chance I get. As the fruit becomes aromatic, even the local supermarket turns into a more exciting place. And there’s nothing nicer than shopping at an outdoor farmer’s market and then going home to enjoy a large bowl of fruit salad.

Berries and peaches are traditional favorites, but fresh apricots and cherries add color and fragrance to a summer salad. Diced ripe melon is a great contribution, as are plums. I sometimes add a few slices of kiwi too.

How to cut the fruit is up to you. In France, it is frequently served in rather thick slices so that each fruit keeps its identity. But I recently tasted a salad of fruit diced very small at a well-known Los Angeles restaurant, where it was called fruit ratatouille.

Don’t feel that you have to use every type of fruit in the market. Even two fruits of contrasting colors can make a good salad. Some simple combinations I enjoy are diced ripe honeydew melon with raspberries, sliced nectarines with blueberries and strawberries, and peach wedges with sliced red plums and kiwis.

Added flavorings should be subtle to let the fine fruit flavor come through. A dash of sugar and a squeeze of lemon, lime or orange juice complement any fruit melange. You can also sprinkle the salad with fruit brandy or liqueur. My choice is usually clear raspberry brandy ( framboise ), peach brandy or Grand Marnier, but you can use any spirits you like. A splash of chilled Champagne added at the last minute makes a salad festive.

The easiest version of summer fruit salad is fruit in red wine, a popular country French dish. Generally it is made with a single fruit that is mixed with the wine and some sugar. The best fruits to serve this way are peaches and strawberries.

I prefer fruit salad light and unadorned rather than with the old-fashioned accompaniment of whipped cream. If I want a topping, I like a slightly softened fruit sorbet. Frozen yogurt or plain yogurt mixed with a little vanilla makes a pleasant light topping too.

Go easy on the sugar, lemon juice and liqueur, so they highlight -- but don’t overpower -- the fruit’s wonderful perfume. You can also substitute fresh orange juice or an additional tablespoon of lemon juice for the liqueur. For a salad of richer character and lovely color, toss the fruit with fresh Strawberry Sauce.

SUMMER FRUIT SALAD WITH FRUIT LIQUEUR

3 medium nectarines or peeled peaches, pitted and sliced into wedges

4 apricots, pitted and sliced into wedges

2 cups strawberries, lightly rinsed, hulled and quartered

2 cups blackberries, raspberries or blueberries

Sugar

Strained lemon juice

Clear raspberry brandy or Grand Marnier

Place nectarines, apricots, strawberries and blackberries in large serving bowl. Sprinkle fruit with 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 teaspoons lemon juice and 2 tablespoons raspberry brandy. Mix ingredients as gently as possible using rubber spatula.

Taste and add more sugar, lemon juice and liqueur if needed. Serve at once or cover and refrigerate about 1 hour. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

160 calories; 1 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 1 gram fat; 35 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 2.86 grams fiber.

This is a good sauce for many desserts. Use it with the Summer Fruit Salad (made without sugar and lemon juice or fruit brandy), by tossing in enough sauce to moisten fruit. Add lemon juice or fruit brandy to taste. Serve any remaining sauce separately.

STRAWBERRY SAUCE

2 cups strawberries, rinsed and hulled

6 tablespoons powdered sugar

Place strawberries and powdered sugar in food processor or blender and puree until very smooth.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups, or 12 servings.

Each serving contains about:

22 calories; 0 sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 0 protein; 0.13 gram fiber.

PEACHES IN RED WINE

1 1/2 cups dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon

1/4 cup water

Juice of 2 oranges

1/4 cup sugar

6 ripe peaches or nectarines

Mix wine with water, orange juice and sugar and stir until sugar dissolves. Pour into glass bowl.

Peel peaches with vegetable peeler if very ripe. Otherwise, place fruit in boiling water 30 seconds, then transfer to bowl of cold water with slotted spoon. Remove and peel with paring knife. There is no need to peel nectarines.

Slice and pit fruit and add to wine mixture. Refrigerate 30 minutes to 2 hours. Serve cold. Makes 4 servings.

Note : For more colorful dessert, add 2 cups small hulled strawberries, each cut in half lengthwise.

Each serving contains about:

174 calories; 7 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 31 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.87 gram fiber.