Adventures in Cooking - Fruit Salad

I used to watch Pee Wee's Playhouse all the time as a kid. I don't watch it anymore, but that's because I don't own any episodes. If I could afford to buy a box set, I totally would. I loved that show like no other.

My most vivid memory of Pee Wee's Playhouse was the episode where Pee Wee was having a sleepover with all of his friends. They were all eating fruit salad, and enjoying it very much.

"I love fruit salad!" exclaimed Pee Wee.

"Well, why don't you marry it?" was the traditional response to such a statement.

Instead of laughing it off, Pee Wee looked right into the camera and said, "I think I will!"

Cut to a shot of an impromptu, but lavish, wedding ceremony between Pee Wee and his beloved fruit salad. The fruit salad had a veil and everything. I don't remember who was officiating the ceremony - I think it might have been Cowboy Curtis.

My love of fruit salad rivals that of Pee Wee's love. And I'm not talking about that fruit cocktail crap that comes in the can, where all the fruit is mushy and it floats around in that disgusting syrup. Although I did love it as a kid (my brother and I always fought over who got the last cherry), my tastes and nutritional concerns have changed somewhat.

Aric and I make fruit salad about once a week. We go to Horrocks and stock up on all the supplies - I can make fruit salad for under $10 at most, and it will last a week or so. It's taken us a few months to perfect the ingredients, but we've got it down.

FRUIT SALAD

INGREDIENTS
Cantaloupe
Strawberries
Blueberries
Red/purple grapes
Pineapple

A NOTE ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS
I'm not including amounts, because it varies depending what's on sale. Usually, though, we use on cantaloupe, two pints of strawberries, two pints of blueberries, one bag of grapes, and one column of ringed pineapple.

We've found that if you let the fruits sit for a few days before you cut them up, they get all ripe and sweet. And if you let the pineapple sit in with the other fruits for a little bit before you serve, it sucks up the strawberry juice and becomes something truly amazing.

INSTRUCTIONS
1) Chop all of the ingredients into bite size pieces.
2) Mix together in a large serving bowl.
3) Enjoy!

THE BOTTOM LINE
Super versatile - as are most of my recipes, I'm finding. Really fresh and delicious, too - Aric and I are actually trying to grow strawberries and cantaloupes, so we don't have to go to the store as much. So far the strawberries are growing, but the cantaloupes are a little shy.

I've found that I like to put some plain soy yogurt on top of my fruit salad (I'm allergic to dairy, otherwise I'd use regular yogurt). It's a nice way to bulk it up for breakfast. That and the yogurt mixes with the strawberry juice really beautifully.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
Aric and I "harvested" some lettuce from our little garden, so I'm looking up tasty salad dressing recipes. I can't bear to put pre-fab dressing on something that we grew with our own two hands.

I'm also hoping to find a yummy pasta salad recipe, one that hopefully includes beans. I'm trying to eat more beans because they're good for you, they're cheap, and they're just plain tasty.