Fruit for young and old

We Americans are spoiled in many ways. One way is assuming we can have fresh fruit and vegetables even when they're not in season. Each February, when everyone is sick of winter and holed up in their houses, we have a big brunch for all of our neighbors, who we usually see on the street in nice weather, but who we miss when the weather is cold and no one is out. The fruit salad I make for this party is always a big hit. The key is selecting fruit that retains its flavor and texture, even off-season, or even if it's imported. The other key is using grapefruit and candied ginger, to give the salad a refreshing kick of citrus and spice. Here's how to make a great fruit salad in winter or early spring, before the summer bounty is here.

Winter Fruit Salad

Serves a small crowd

2 cups blueberries

2 cups red seedless grapes

2 cups sliced strawberries

2 cups fresh pineapple

1 large pink grapefruit, halved and sectioned, scooped out with a grapefruit knife

2 clementines, peeled and sectioned, sections cut in half

8-10 large pieces of candied (crystallized) ginger, cut in small strips

1/2 c. yellow raisins (optional)

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Squeeze any remaining grapefruit juice over the fruit. Other fruits can of course be substituted, but only if they are ripe and flavorful. Sometimes I'll cut up a very crisp apple (Honeycrisp, or Grannysmith), or a bosc pear, but be aware that those fruits will turn brown in a few hours, so only use them if you plan to eat the fruit salad right away. Do not try to use bananas, which get too mushy, or melon, which is never good in the winter even if it's in the stores, or other summer fruits like peaches, nectarines, plums, etc. No matter where they come from, they rarely taste good off-season.

Fruit smoothies

Before I had a child, I was known as The Sandwich Queen. I'm slowly re-taking the title as my daughter has grown up, but in the intervening years, I became The Smoothie Queen. My nearly college age kid is just starting to eat fresh fruit, but only a few of them. I make her a smoothie once a week, and the true test of their success was when she returned one year from summer camp saying she craved one of my smoothies. The trick here is using mostly frozen fruit-- this idea I got from a friend who is a chef and for years had to make daily breakfast for 60 cranky bankers in the executive corporate dining room that she ruled. The frozen fruit (especially the banana) gives the smoothie a thick texture without adding ice, yogurt or ice cream, and maximizing the amount of fruit that gets into the recipient. And by the way, this is not just a nutritious drink for kids. When my father was in his late 90's, I tried these smoothies on him-- he loved them.

Basic fruit smoothie

Makes 1 smoothie, about 16 oz.

1/3 frozen banana, broken into 2 or 3 chunks

1/2 c. frozen blueberries

1/2 c. frozen cherries

another non-frozen fruit (see note*)

1 t. grated fresh ginger

1/3 c. fruit juice or fruit nectar

about 1 c. soy milk (or regular milk-- I prefer soy for the flavor and the extra calcium)

Place the fruits and ginger in the bowl of the blender. Pour in the fruit juice. Pour in just enough soy milk to cover the top of the fruit. Start the blender on the Mix setting, then go to Puree, then to Liquefy. Add more milk if the mixture is too thick to blend. Blend until smooth and thick. Serve in a big glass with a straw. This and a piece of whole grain toast makes for a totally healthy breakfast.

*Note: You can substitute other frozen fruits that you like, but my first choice is the berries and cherries as they give the drink sweetness and color. The bananas are non-negotiable. As for the non-frozen fruit, use anything that you have in the house-- pear, orange, apple, plums or peaches in summer, pineapple, grapes. You can use melon, but they tend to be watery and dilute the flavor. Keeping frozen berries, some frozen bananas and that fresh ginger in the freezer as part of your pantry is a must in my mind, if you have kids in the house.