A fruit salad that lets the fruit lead

Most fruit salads drown good fruit in a sugary dressing. This one does the opposite, and that small shift matters when you are moving an Autoimmune condition toward Remission and paying attention to what goes into every dish. Here the clementines and cherries carry the sweetness, and a little citrus and apricot deepen the flavor and pull it together.

Clementines and the orange juice are a source of vitamin C, involved in the everyday repair of connective tissue and in supporting immune function. The cherries bring polyphenols and fiber, the colorful plant compounds that feed a healthier gut community. Real fruit, doing real work.

Let this one sit in the fridge a while before you eat it, and use that wait. When you bring it to the table, take a moment with the color of it, the orange against the dark cherries, and let yourself feel some gratitude for whole fruit grown and ripened. Eating slowly, with a settled nervous system, is part of how the food serves you.

Ingredients

• 4 clementines, peeled and sliced
• 2 cups cherries, pitted
• 6 tablespoons orange juice
• 3 tablespoons apricot jam or apricot puree
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

Method

Add the sliced clementines and pitted cherries to a bowl.

Stir together the orange juice, apricot jam or puree, and lemon juice, then pour it over the fruit and turn gently to coat.

Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 20 minutes before serving, so the dressing settles into the fruit. Serve cold.

*Adapted from a-clean-plate*

*Lower-sugar note: the sugar here is the cherries, not added sweetener. For less, use a smaller amount of cherries and lean the bowl toward the greens and lower-sugar berries.*