Make the best of the season with this Winter Fruit Salad, doused in a refreshing Peach cider and cinnamon dressing.

There is such a thing as too much fruit, I came to realize sometime in the past week. Over-indulgence and extravagance induced by the frantic grab-n-then-decide attitude at the supermarket, typical of when you have family over, found my fridge over-flowing with produce long after they all left, so much so that I had to move most of the fruits over to the dining table. Which meant, that they all began to ripen quicker without refrigeration, speeding up the already ticking clock.

I’m usually a meticulous list keeper, and this unexpected havoc thrown into my otherwise ordered life had me in splits. After dealing with more pressing problems, I set to working on the fruitsavaganza! Normally, I’d have made pies, cakes and what-nots with each of them, but I was exhausted beyond description and had no room for baking (yet). So there seemed to be just one other solution to this problem – a delightful Winter Fruit Salad, doused with a Peach cider and cinnamon dressing and garnished with a healthy dose of walnuts and pecans and a refreshing touch of sweet basil! Sounds heavenly, right? Tastes that way too!

If you’ve yet to taste the marvelous elixir that is Peach Cider, my dear friend, you must get yourself a bottle (or hundred) as soon as humanly possible. We usually stock up with several gallons for the holidays – we may be a no-alcohol home, but we still enjoy the fermented fizz of peach cider! (Mercier Orchards, GA makes our favorite Peach cider).

Combined with the fragrance of cinnamon, the dressing turns everything it touches divine – so despite the suggested fruit list in the recipe below, feel free to swap up any with seasonal favorites from your market.

Speaking of seasonal fruits, who here has mixed feelings towards Pomegranate? I myself was at best indifferent to the fruit, growing up. I remember my mother, sitting on the couch, patiently gutting the ruby red innards of a pomegranate. The way her hands moved over the fruit, deftly yet delicately separating the juicy arils, gleaming red against the light, was calming to observe.

And just the inspiration of watching her work would tempt me to pop a handful of seeds into my mouth, despite feeling no real love for this particular fruit. Although, I must say, I’m coming around on many a childhood aversions these days.And pomegranate is slowly sneaking its way into my heart.

Time changes palates and more, so if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s to dare to taste foods that I’ve written off long ago. Surely, the gesture doesn’t come easily to me, but I have to confess: I’ve discovered some new favorites this way.

So the next time you find yourself with an exceptional surplus of fruits at hand, either with intent, pure mishap or a little of both, make yourself a bowl of this delicious and refreshing Winter Fruit Salad – and try to sneak in one or two fruits you don’t already love. Who knows? You may just discover a new favorite!

Recipe notes:

1. Use whatever fruits are in season.
2. If you cannot get your hands on Peach Cider, substitute with apple cider or peach juice.
3. After you segmented the oranges, squeeze the leftover husk over the bowl of fruits to get any juice out of any flesh left behind.
4. Pour over the dressing just before serving, or for more mature flavors, upto 30 minutes ahead of time. Any longer and the cider may begin softening the fruits.

When you make these VEGAN Choco Banana Chai Latte (which I really think you SHOULD!), be sure to SHARE YOUR PHOTOS with me through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. I’d love to see what you cook from here!