This weekend was certainly an eventful one, as we got our first dose of our covid vaccines!  We’re very lucky to both be in the earlier tiers to receive the vaccines here in California, as I work in food/agriculture and Chris works in education with plans to be teaching on-site this quarter.  To celebrate, we planned a relaxing recovery day for Sunday to sleep off the shot (we both didn’t feel sick on the first dose, but definitely had some fatigue) and nurse our incredibly sore arms (mine hurt more than his, but it felt better after two days!).  We picked up ingredients for a delightful brunch-in, and whipped up a nice feast of pancakes, breakfast sausage, and this beautiful fruit salad that I’m excited to share here now!

Since it’s still peak citrus season here in California, we continue to be gifted oranges and lemons from our friends and in our CSA, plus I buy even more of them at the Farmer’s Market because you know I can’t get enough.  We currently have beautiful, locally grown blood oranges from a friend, and beautiful, locally grown cara cara oranges from the Farmer’s Market. Having these beaties on-hand made me excited to use some citrus as a fresh and fruity side for my brunch.  I peeled and chopped the oranges into segments and added a cup of fresh raspberries to the mix, and sweetened with a little sugar to make it feel a little more decadent (totally optional if you are going sugar free!).  The sweetened orange juice makes a delightful and simple dressing for the salad, and the whole affair is so perfectly pink that it boosted my mood and made brunch feel special.

Any oranges will work here, and the raspberries can be easily swapped with blackberries or even strawberries sliced down the middle.  Sugar can be skipped entirely or swapped for honey, maple syrup, or your favorite sweetener.  If you want to add herbs, a little mint or basil would be very nice here!

Recipe down below, photo up top!  Happy brunching, friends!

Raspberry Orange Fruit Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of fresh raspberries
• 2 oranges, peeled and cut into segments
• 1 tbsp sugar

Method:

1. Using a knife, cut the peel off of the oranges as close to the edge of the fruit as possible.  Depending on size, cut the orange (cross-wise) into thirds or fourths to create rings about 1-inch in size.  Use your hands to separate out the individual orange segments in each ring, place segments into a bowl.
   1. If it’s easier or if you prefer to simply peel the oranges with your hands instead of using a knife, that works great here too!
2. Add raspberries to the orange segments, and sugar.  Toss to fully combine, and allow to sit for about 15 minutes to allow the sugar to pull out some additional juice from the oranges.  Toss to combine again immediately before serving.
3. Serve on the side of your favorite brunch items, or as a delightful stand-alone fruit salad.  Enjoy!