Organic Fruits from the Dirty Dozen

Every year the Environmental Working Group tracks pesticide use on fruits and veggies, then compiles a list of the worst offenders, calling them the Dirty Dozen. They also share the Clean 15, which have the lowest pesticide concentration. You can find it here if you're interested (there is a Get the Guide Here link to click if you don't want to sign up). While it varies from year to year, stone fruits typically top the list, so it's good to make a point of always buying them organic. Stone fruits are those with hard pits, like peaches, nectarines, plums, cherries, even almonds! With that in mind, here it is:

Today's Salad
Peaches
Red Plums
Banana

Tart and tangy from the plum, sweat-sour from the peach, and creamy smooth from the banana. This was a good one!

Fruit Salad with a Twist

I was cruising the aisles at Whole Foods today and discovered a new fruit, the Aprium. I pretty much assumed these little gems would be a lot like the Pluots I ate all the time in California since they are both hybrids of the apricot and plum. Turns out they have different names because they are quite different kinds of fruit. While the pluot is like a tart plum, the aprium seems to be more like a regular apricot except without the fuzzy skin. Tasty! With that as my starting point, here it is...

Today's Fruit Salad
Aprium
Banana
Strawberries

This is just the right blend of sweet and tart. You can see from my previous posts that I'm really enjoying strawberry season. And with a fresh new salad every day, they get a chance to shine in different ways.

Saturday Fruit Salad

Today's Salad
Strawberries
Pink Lady Apples
Cherries

This pink salad was very fresh, but a bit tart.

Keeping it simple

I like to start my days with a fresh fruit salad. I know what you're thinking, chop fruit, put in bowl, eat. Not the most challenging of dishes. But while many people think the best way to add interest to a simple salad is to include a wide array of fruits, a raw food book I read once recommended a much simpler method. Try only three. But try a different three every day. That is so easy, why didn't I think of it? Now I buy a variety of in-season fruits, but only use three in my salad each morning. You can really taste the nuances in each and I have created some delightful combinations that otherwise wouldn't have crossed my mind. I will be sharing my latest salad creations here along with any tasting notes. And if you are inspired to try your own, please share them!

Today's Salad
Strawberry
Watermelon
Mango

Since all of these fruits err on the sweet side, I added a squeeze of lime to balance it all out. This is one step farther than I usually go, and in this case it really paid off. Everything was juicy, sweet, and just a bit brighter because of the lime juice. Yum yum!