Mixed fruit salad with rose water and pistachio

Its over guys, its over. Summer is on its way out and I can already feel the slight chill in the air post 5pm. Although it was a pretty decent summer, I feel it ended too soon and I am not willing to let go as yet. I think the coming week is the last of 20C weather we'd get to enjoy. Sigh!

So on a warm-ish Saturday I made this mixed fruit salad to enjoy the best of British bounty. The strawberries were sent across by Sweet Eve Strawberries - one of the best I've actually tried. They are British born and bred and deliciously sweet and full of flavour. I am not very lucky when it comes to strawberries as the ones from the stores are never really sweet. But the Sweet Eve strawbs were a welcome change- almost all of them were really sweet and I kind of finished half of it at one go. With the rest I whipped up a nice smoothie and this summer salad which was a hit. The pistachio nuts add that extra crunch and the next time I do this, I'll try it with other fruits and a generous sprinkling of almonds or so.

Rosewater is one extract I've never really tasted or experimented with and was pleasantly surprised by the Nielsen Massey rose water which did lend a very Moroccan flavour to this salad. That said, it can be a very over powering flavour and not a favourite of many (the husband included). A very small quantity goes a long way and so watch how much you put in. I had guests over last weekend and I made some poached peaches with rose water and served it with vanilla ice cream and pistachio nuts. it was divine! 

Recipe adapted from here

Strawberries- 100 gms

Mango- 1 ripe, peeled and sliced into cubes

Peach- 1 ripe, diced

Rosewater- a splash (optional)

Caster sugar- for sprinkling

Pistachio nuts- enough to sprinkle, chopped fine

Mix together the fruits in a large bowl.

Add a splash of rosewater and toss well.

Divide the mix between two or 3 bowls

Sprinkle the caster sugar followed by pistachio nuts and serve cold.

Notes: Add any fruit of choice, except maybe bananas

If not for rosewater a splash of Marsala wine or Sherry would be good

With thanks to Sweet Eve Strawberries and Nielsen Massey for the samples.