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Colette & Cassi's Country Kitchen!

Tropical Fruit in Spiced Syrup
recipe by Marie Simmons

April/May 2005

Prep time: 15 minutes | Start to finish: 20 minutes
To make ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Serve this versatile, Chai-spice-inspired salsa with seafood, grilled chicken, as part of a yogurt parfait, or on its own.

3/4 cup water
1/4 cup honey
5 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 whole cardamom pod
1 mango, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 kiwi, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 medium Asian pear, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice (see Note)
1 lime, peeled and cut into segments (see Tip)
1/4 cup dried cherries
2 strips orange zest (1/2-by-2-inch), cut into thin slivers (see Tip)
1 tablespoon minced fresh mint leaves (optional)

Combine water, honey, cloves, cinnamon stick and cardamom in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer until slightly reduced and syrupy, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Pour the syrup through a fine sieve into a bowl. Discard the spices. Add mango, kiwi, pear, lime segments, dried cherries and orange zest. Stir gently to combine. Just before serving, add mint, if desired. Serve the fruit warm, at room temperature or chilled.

Makes about 4 cups. per 1Ú2-cup serving: 78 calories; 0 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 20 g carbohydrate; 1 g protein; 2 g fiber; 2 mg sodium.

Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (30% daily value).

Note: Asian pears.are shaped more like an apple than a pear, have golden yellow-green skin and retain their crisp texture even when ripe. Look for them in the specialty-fruit section of the supermarket.

Tip: Citrus segments: Using a sharp knife, cut off the peel and white pith from the lime. To make attractive segments, hold the lime over a bowl (to catch the juice) and slice between each segment and its surrounding membranes.

Tip: Citrus zest: Use a vegetable peeler to easily remove strips of the outer skin (zest), leaving the bitter white pith behind.