I hate to heat up the oven in the summer time, but I love to take advantage of the fresh fruit in season. These are just a few fruit salad recipes you can serve this summer in place of dessert, on a buffet or for a luncheon treat.

Minted Fruit Salad:

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup lemon juice from concentrate
1/3 cup water
1/4 tsp. peppermint extract
8 cups cut up assorted fresh fruit
Fresh mint leaves for garnish (optional)

In medium bowl, combine all ingredients except fruit; stir until sugar dissolves. Place fruit in large shallow dish; pour lemon juice over. Cover, chill 3 hours or overnight, stirring occasionally. Refrigerate leftovers.

Layered Fruit Salad

Fruit:

2 cups cubed fresh pineapple
1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
2 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced
3 medium bananas, sliced
2 oranges, peeled and sectioned
1 cup seedless grapes
1 pint blueberries

Sauce:

2/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. grated orange peel
1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

In a sauce pan, bring to boil all ingredients for sauce except vanilla; simmer 5 minutes. Add vanilla and cool. Meanwhile, in a large clear glass salad bowl, arrange fruit in layers in order listed. Pour sauce over fruit. Cover and refrigerate several hours. 10-12 servings.

Golden Fruit Salad

1 1/2 cups vanilla yogurt
2-3 tablespoons orange juice
dash nutmeg
1 Golden Delicious apple, cored and sliced
1 Red Delicious apple, cored and sliced
1 banana, sliced
1/2 cup red grapes, seeded and halved

Combine yogurt, orange juice, and nutmeg in bowl and mix. In another bowl, combine and mix fruit. Serve with dressing on salad plates lined with lettuce. Serves 3.

Sunny Summer Salad

2 pears, sliced
1 cup strawberries
2 oranges, peels left on
2 kiwi fruits, peeled and sliced
colorful greens such as radicchio, and butter lettuce
1/4 cup toasted coconut

Dressing:

1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons honey

Cut orange slices into wedges. On 4 salad plates, arrange greens and all fruits into a design. Top with coconut. Serve the honey dressing on the side. Dressing: Mix well. Garnish with fresh mint.

Tropical Blueberry Salad

1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups fresh blueberries
2 cups fresh or canned pineapple chunks
1 mango, peeled, pitted and cubed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 kiwi, peeled, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)

In a microwaveable bowl, combine brown sugar, orange juice . Microwave on high 1 minute. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Add vanilla. In a large bowl, combine blueberries, pineapple, mango and kiwi. Stir in sugar-orange juice mixture until blended. This can be served in pretty bowls, or you can top slices of pound cake, angel cake or biscuits with it. Adapted from a North American Blueberry Council recipe.

Gingered Fruit Salad

2 oranges, peeled and sectioned
2 apples, cored and chopped
2 peaches, sliced
1 cup strawberry halves
1 cup vanilla or peach yogurt
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ginger

In a large bowl toss fruit. In a small bowl toss other ingredients. Blend well with wisk. Toss with fruit. Serves 8.

Cherry Fruit Salad

2 cups fresh sweet cherries, pitted
1 small fresh pineapple, pared and cut into segments
1 orange, peeled and cut up
1/2 small honeydew melon, cut into spears
1/4 cup toasted almond slices

Dressing:

1/2 cup plain yogurt
3 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tsp. orange peel

Arrange fruit on serving dish, sprinkle with almonds. Serve with dressing. Serves 4. Dressing: Combine all but peel, blend until smooth. Sprinkle with orange peel.

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