- Mary Beth Clark - https://marybethclark.com -

Strawberry and Orange Macedonia with Fresh Rosemary

Strawberry and Orange Macedonia is such a delight when served as dessert. Brilliantly colored and bursting with juicy flavor, it needs little enhancement. Anyone can place berries in a bowl and serve. When you need to quickly whip up a special fruit salad, try adding a fresh herb. Taking only seconds, your bowl of berries transforms into a special dessert.

Many chefs recommend adding lemon juice to berries or fruit salad. No. Add freshly squeezed orange juice. It’s acidic enough to prevent discoloration and coax out flavors, but it is sweeter than lemon juice, so no additional sugar is needed. Fresh oranges blend well with most fruits. Simply toss the season’s fresh fruits together, accent with rosemary, then enjoy. For a twist, substitute fresh basil for rosemary.

Now decisions, decisions! Serve Strawberry and Orange Macedonia with Fresh Rosemary as is? Topped with vanilla-flavored yogurt? With whipped cream? Pour over strawberry ice cream? Or peach gelato or stracciatella (vanilla with chocolate bits) gelato? Make a colorful, aromatic bed of this fruit and place pound cake on top? Lots of smiles for you if you serve this with tropical fruit or mango sorbet. Have fun deciding…
 

Fresh ripe strawberries
Juice, Cara-Cara, or Blood oranges
Fresh rosemary sprigs, divided
 

Under cold running water, clean the strawberries and drain. Hull, then cut in half or quarter. Cut off the rind from the oranges, nibble on them, consume more of your daily Vitamin C. Reserve part of the oranges for making the juice. To the remaining part, cut the oranges between the membranes so the pulp is beautifully displayed. Pluck off some fresh rosemary needles from the sprigs and mince. Reserve some sprigs as garnish.

Place the berries, orange pieces, and minced rosemary in an attractive serving bowl. Toss all together, squeeze fresh orange juice over, toss. Garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs. This fruit salad tastes best if the flavors are allowed to blend for about an hour before serving. Simple goodness. Enjoy.

1 cup raw halved strawberries has only 49 calories and gives 149% Vitamin C daily intake value.
1 cup raw orange sections has only 85 calories and gives 160% Vitamin C daily intake value.