A Berry Refreshing Salad

It's warm on the coast, in fact maybe one of the warmest summers we have had since we have been coming here. There is no air conditioning in this old house and some of the windows do not open. Because of this we have been spending our afternoons and early evening hours outside on the deck. It is breezy from the southwestern winds. The shade comes from the Alder and Pine trees that surround our yard. We spend our time reading more and watching television less.

Even the way we eat is changing. Our meals and snacks have become lighter and healthier. I'm always on the lookout for simple and seasonal foods. So when I saw this combination of red berries I just knew they would hit the spot. Today's Red Fruit Salad recipe came from Heidi Swanson's blog, "101 Cookbooks". One of the best things about this dish is that you can enjoy it for any meal of your day. Also, it's refreshing and even better the second day as the fruit continues to macerate.

Ingredients:

1 pound of cherries pitted
1 pound of strawberries cored
1 1/4 teaspoon whole coriander seeds (ground)
2-3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 lemon zest ed and then juiced

To prepare:

Add together cherries and strawberries. Toast the coriander seeds until fragrant in a dry skillet. Crush in a mortar and pestle or grind until somewhat fine. Toss the coriander into the sugar and lemon zest until completely mixed together using your fingertips. Combine together with the fruit. Then toss with lemon juice. Let set at least 10 minutes. Enjoy!