Early Summer Fruit Salad

With Memorial Day ushering in the (unofficial) start of summer, I'm even more in the mood for fresh, local ingredients as the region's farmers markets swell with produce.

We stopped at a market on our way home from the beach today and picked up some berries. It was Chris's suggestion that I make a fruit salad, which turned out to be just perfect today.

For the dressing, I used a simple combination of lemon juice, lemon zest and honey, augmented with fresh basil. To make basil ribbons, known as chiffonade, stack the basil leaves largest on the bottom, roll up the stack and make thin slices across the roll (see photo at right).

Early Summer Fruit Salad

8-10 fresh strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1 apple, cored and chopped
1 banana, sliced
1 orange, peeled and sliced
8 basil leaves, cut into ribbons
2 tsp. lemon zest
1 tbsp. lemon juice (1/2 of a lemon)
1 tsp. honey

1. Combine fruit in a large bowl. Add basil and lemon zest.

2. Whisk together lemon juice and honey. Pour over fruit and stir carefully to combine.