Red, White & Blueberry Fruit Salad

Red, white and blueberry fruit salad has long been a favorite of summer picnics. The combination of fruits in those colors makes not only for a cool, healthy and tempting treat but also possess the colors of the flag. Whether you are celebrating the 4th of July or Labor Day with a salad arranged to resemble Old Glory, marking Bastille Day with the Tricolor (or Tricolore, en Francais), or doing up a Union Jack for some British-themed celebration, a red, white and blueberry fruit salad, the result is a great way to “Keep the State On Your Plate.”

There are many ways to make, display, and serve a red, white and blueberry fruit salad. The red and white fruits can be displayed to resemble the stripes on the American flag, while the blue can be used to form the field. Some of the white fruit can be used to add stars to that blue field, either by using a star-shaped cookie cutter for a large salad, or small bits for a smaller salad. While the Betsy Ross style flag with 13 stars is the easiest, those who are particularly patient and enterprising can make a go at displaying all 50 stars. No matter whether you call upon your decorative skills to make a fag or similar patriotic display, or just jumble everything into the same bowl, the result is a great way to “Keep the State On Your Plate.”

(Recipe serves four, multiply accordingly for larger groups, or if making a flag display)

Ingredients:

Note: There should be an equal volume of red and white fruits – with more white if you are making or representing stars. If you are only making the blue field, you only need about a quarter or a third of as much blue fruit as red. If you remove one or more types of fruit from the recipe, you can make up for it by adding more of another of that color.

For the red:

• 1 cup strawberries
• 1 cup raspberries
• 1 cup cherries
• 1 cup red grapes
• 1 cup of cubed watermelon

For the white:

• 1.5 cups of white melon
• 1.5 cups of sliced bananas
• 1.5 cups of white peaches

For the blue:

• 1 cup of blueberries
• 1 cup of blackberries

Directions:

Note: As you prepare each ingredient, keep the colors separate if you intend to make a display; otherwise, toss them all into a large bowl as you go along.

• Cube the watermelon
• Wash, peel, pit and slice the white peaches
• Peel and slice the bananas

• Cube the watermelon and white melon

• Wash all of the berries

• Stem and pit the cherries (slice them, too, if you wish)
• Stem the strawberries (and slice them too, if desired)

Serving Suggestions:

There are many ways to make, display, and serve a red, white and blueberry fruit salad. The red and white fruits can be displayed to resemble the stripes on the American flag, while the blue can be used to form the field. Some of the white fruit can be used to add stars to that blue field, either by using a star-shaped cookie cutter for a large salad, or small bits for a smaller salad. While the Betsy Ross style flag with 13 stars is the easiest, those who are particularly patient and enterprising can make a go at displaying all 50 stars. No matter whether you call upon your decorative skills to make a fag or similar patriotic display, or just jumble everything into the same bowl, the result is a great way to “Keep the State On Your Plate.”