COMING CLEAN: Fruit for Dessert

As I mentioned in my last post, I’ve recently been tempted — and indulging — in dessert, specifically, a flourless chocolate cake at my local co-op. It’s rich and moist and dense all at once. I dream about it.

Part of my desire is the taste of the cake itself, part of it is the desire for sugar and chocolate and the subsequent effects on my body (when I’m tired, I crave both as a quick boost to my energy, regardless of the sugar crash that will surely come — and there’s those crazy-happy feelings chocolate seems to signal to my brain). But larger than that, it’s the ritual of dessert, the closing of the meal.

Sometimes I’ll substitute dessert with herbal tea, and it usually works wonders as a stand-in (my favorite is mint tea). I know, it doesn’t seem comparable, but try it, and really focus on the warmth and comfort of the tea as you sip. For the times when I still feel hungry and find my sweet tooth craves more attention, I look to fruit. My go-to grabs are usually a bowl of fresh berries topped with shaved coconut or a little honey, an apple and nut butter, or an orange. Our latest experiment in the world of fruit is quick and delicious: grilled fruit.

Grilling Fruit

We’ve used watermelon (pictured below), but you could try this with any fruit. I’ve heard peaches work particularly well when sliced in half.

How quick is the prep and cook? Simple:

1. Wash the rind of the watermelon.
2. Cut off the top and bottom of the melon.
3. Lay flat, and slice the watermelon into large pieces. We like to then cut it into quarter-size pieces.
4. Place slices on the grill, cooking for 1-2 minutes on one side, then 1-2 minutes on the other. Flip and continue to cook until grill marks appear.

Grilled fruits are tasty plain — the natural sugars in the fruit caramelize over the fire — but can also be chopped into bite size pieces and tossed with fresh mint or other herbs, goat or feta cheese, a few teaspoons of your favorite vinaigrette, or a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice. You’ll get a lot when it comes to watermelon, so feel free to experiment with flavors. And share your favorite combinations below in the comments section. Enjoy!