So I just got back from vacation in Key West with my fiance. We had an amazing trip and I admit I am a bit sad to have returned from such a beautiful place. However, on a side note, yesterday was my BIRTHDAY. Woohoo for turning 24!! <–or we shall see anyways, but so far so good!
A little on Key West: Very vegetarian friendly place, which obviously means it is pretty simple to turn those dishes vegan if you so please. In addition, very dog friendly place. I made SO many four legged friends; a.k.a. freaking out any time I saw a dog and taking a photo with them….FRIENDS I tell you!
One of my favorite places that we visited in Key West was The Butterfly and Nature Conservatory. It had a stunning display of butterflies, itty-bitty birds, flamingos, flowers, babbling brooks, waterfalls….need I even go on? It was breath taking! While I was busy snapping pictures as fast as my camera would go I became inspired to create a dish that reflected this beauty and natural ambiance. WHAT A LOSER, RIGHT?! Seriously though, that is literally what popped into my head while taking photos in the conservatory. I will say, in my defense, that the butterflies were munching on delectable plates of fruit that both whet my appetite and made my mouth water.
Regardless of whether butterflies are your thing or not this is a quick and easy fruit salad that will heighten your senses and hydrate you while pumping Vitamin C and antioxidants into your body. What part about that sounds bad?
Makes: 1-2 servings, 3 if using as a side
2 Grapefruits
1 large peach
6 or so mint leaves
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2-3 tbs Agave
How to make:
Slice grapefruits in half. Take a sharp knife and cut a ring around the meat of the fruit. Then, follow the lines on the grapefruit halves and pop each piece out into a bowl. Next, peel and slice your peach. It doesn’t really matter how you slice the fruit up, just get as much meat as possible. Next, toss the fruit together in a bowl. Drain the excess juice. My grapefruits were ridiculously juicy so there was a lot of excess liquid. Then, add the juice of 1/2 a lemon. Rip the mint leaves and add as well. Toss ingredients in the bowl. Taste a piece of your grapefruit, add agave as needed. My grapefruits were sweeter than usual so I hardly used any agave. If your grapefruits are more tart then you may need to add more agave. Chill for a half hour to a full hour…..then serve. If you already had your fruit chilled you can probably go ahead and eat it. I think letting it chill in the fridge brings out the mint flavor though…which happens to be my favorite flavor in this dish. I hope you enjoy!