A Mouthful of Summer: Florida Ambrosia Salad

Enjoy a delicious and healthy fruit salad recipe: Florida Ambrosia salad, giving you that feeling of summertime during these cold winter months.

Chef Kris Wessel of Florida Cookery in Miami Beach, Florida, shared this recipe as part of a Palm Tree Christmas menu he created exclusively for Epicurious. It showcases Florida oranges and grapefruits, which are at their peak during December. You’ll find this Florida Ambrosia salad compliments any meal, leaving those at your dinner table delighted by the delicious dish that takes very little time, but brings a big smile to the meal.

Ingredients

1 coconut

3 white pink grapefruits

3 navel oranges

1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch chunks

1 pint kumquats, cut on a diagonal into 1/4-inch-thick slices

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Pierce the softest eye of the coconut with a metal skewer or small screwdriver and drain any liquid into a small bowl to sample—you should have about 1/2 cup liquid. (If the liquid tastes sweet, the coconut is fresh; if it tastes oily, the coconut is rancid and should be discarded.)

Bake the coconut for 15 minutes then transfer to a folded towel on a work surface. Using the back of a knife or a cleaver, crack the shell open. Break the shell into large pieces and use a strong knife to carefully remove the flesh from the shell.

Using a vegetable peeler, remove the brown skin then shave the coconut into thin strips—you should have about 4 cups shaved coconut. Reserve 2 cups for the ambrosia salad; wrap and freeze the remainder for another use. DO AHEAD: Coconut shavings can stored, in an airtight container, in the refrigerator up to 1 week or frozen up to 3 months.

Using a serrated knife, cut the peel off the grapefruits and oranges. Cut the fruit crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds then cut the rounds into bite-size pieces. Transfer to a large bowl; add the pineapple, kumquats, pomegranate seeds, 2 cups coconut shavings, 1/2 cup coconut juice, and the apple juice, and toss gently to combine. Serve at room temperature or chilled. DO AHEAD: Florida Ambrosia Salad can be prepared ahead and stored, covered, in the refrigerator up to 8 hours

Source: epicurious.com

Photo by Lara Ferroni

Interested in more recipes to make the colder months more comfortable? Check out this EYES IN post about some great macaroni and cheese and soup recipes to please your palate.

http://www.eyesin.com/culinary/2012/cozy-recipes-to-warm-you-up/