Summer Fruit and Herb Salad with Cucumbers

I have this light, refreshing summer recipe for you. I've been holding onto it for over a week because every time I sit down to write, no words will come. It's not that anything's wrong. I just have a case of writer's block which is fueled by an overabundance of baking for the cookbook. Not to make you feel left out, I've also made English muffins and cherry scones for the blog. But they both need to be retested before I can post the recipes. All of my baking has also helped me immensely in the kitchen, and I have plans to go back and rework some old recipes. Recipes that, at the time were the best I had come up with. Now I know I can do better. That will take some time, of course. Rest assured though, new recipes are coming.

In the meantime, I figure you're probably more interested in this recipe than my ramblings anyway. So until I find the words to explain all the thoughts racing around in my brain (thoughts which, thanks to Diane Eblin, are now racing around on broomsticks like Harry Potter characters in a Quidditch game), I'll simply leave you with this Summer Fruit and Herb Salad with Cucumbers. It is a) delicious, b) full of antioxidants, and c) delicious. Yes, I know I said that twice. Writer's block, remember?

Summer Fruit and Herb Salad with Cucumbers

Ingredients:
1/2 cup blueberries
3 ripe plums, cut into thin slices
1 cup strawberries, hulled and quartered
1/2 large cucumber, diced
1 navel orange
1 green onion
1/2 lime
1 cup packed fresh herbs (basil, cilantro, mint, parsley)
1 inch chunk of ginger
5 - 10 drops liquid stevia or 1 - 2 teaspoons honey
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
freshly grated black pepper to taste

Directions: 

1. Start with a large salad bowl. Put the blueberries, plums, strawberries, and cucumbers in the bowl. 
2. Cut the orange in half. Section one half and place the pieces in the bowl. Juice the other half over the bowl.
3. Thinly slice the green part of the green onion and add that to the bowl. (Save the rest for another recipe). 
4. Juice half a lime over the bowl. 
5. Mince or chiffonade 1 cup of packed fresh herbs. I like to do a mix of parsley, cilantro, mint, and basil, but you can use whichever of these you have on hand. Add to the salad. 
6. Finally, zest the chunk of ginger, and add that, along with the stevia (or honey), salt, and black pepper to the salad. Toss and let sit for 15 minutes to marinate. 

Serves 4. 

This post is linked to Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten-Free at The Whole Gang. Not surprisingly (at least not if you know Diane), the theme is Harry Potter related.

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