THE STUDENT VEGETARIAN COOK BOOK

The mango will be expensive but gives the salad its character. Another possibility is pineapple, but buy small one, which is all you need. The sweetness of mangoes, on the other hand, is fairly reliable; theyare at the right stage of ripeness when they smell sweet and give to the touch but are not soft. Kiwi fruit also sometimes have very little flavour but always look beautiful; when ripe, they should Similarly give to the touch, but in this salad a hardish one is a good idea as it will then contribute a slight tartness. For those who dislike the bitterness of grapefruit, I have suggested substituting lime juice and slightly underripe pears. Add the juice which escapes from the fruit as you cut it to the salad. For 6.

- INGREDIENTS-

8 oz/250 g blue grapes or (in season) cherries or blackberries

I grapefruit or 1/2 lime plus 2 hardish Conference pears

2 oranges

I kiwi fruit

1 mango

2 bananas

.

2 apples

1j2 pintl300 ml unsweetened tropical fruit iuice or orange iuice

- METHOD-

Wash the grapes, cherries or blackberries and blot dry with kitchen paper. Halve grapes or cherries and remove the pips or stones. Put into a large bowl.

2 Peel the grapefruit and oranges: do not pull off the skin, which leaves a layer of pith behind, but remove it with a sharp knife. Slice, discard the pips and add the slices to the bowl. If using pears, quarter, peel and core them and cut into cubes; put into the bowl. Pour in the tropical fruit or orange juice.

3 Peel and slice the kiwi fruit, trimming off the stalk end. Peel the mango, cut into thick slices as faras the stone on each side, then cut off the flesh clinging to the stone; chop the slices into cubes and add. Peel, slice and add the bananas. Wash, dry, quarter and core the apples; cut into dice and put into the bowl. Squeeze the lime (if using) and add the juice to taste. Serve chilled.