Summer Fruit Salad with Mascarpone and Vanilla Cream

La storia di questo piatto

Not an ancient recipe but a home kitchen's summer habit: whatever the market offers in July, cut small and gathered into one bowl, then crowned with a cloud of mascarpone scented with vanilla. It carries the Italian instinct to let ripe fruit speak for itself, with only a thread of acacia honey to sweeten the conversation.

Ingredienti

• 300 g Fresh strawberries
• 2 pieces Yellow peaches
• 4 pieces Apricots
• 150 g Blueberries
• 300 g Cantaloupe melon
• 2 tablespoons Fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons Brown sugar
• 250 g Mascarpone
• 100 ml Fresh cream
• 2 tablespoons Icing sugar
• 1 pod Vanilla pod
• 1 tablespoon Acacia honey
• 8 leaves Fresh mint leaves

Preparazione

1. Rinse the strawberries and blueberries under cold running water and gently pat them dry with a clean cloth: wet fruit dilutes the flavours. Remove the stems from the strawberries and cut them into pieces about 1.5 cm; leave the blueberries whole. Remove the seeds and skin from the melon and cut it into cubes of about 1.5 cm. For the peaches, dip them in boiling water for 30 seconds, then transfer immediately to cold water: the skin will come off easily with the tip of a knife. Apricots have thin skin: there is no need to blanch them, you can leave the skin on. Halve the peaches and apricots, remove the stones and cut them into cubes of about 1.5 cm. The more even the pieces, the more attractive and pleasant the salad will be to eat.
2. Place all the fruit in a large bowl, squeeze the lemon over it and sprinkle with the brown sugar. Stir with a wooden spoon, lifting from the bottom with slow movements so the more delicate pieces stay intact. Cover and let it rest in the fridge: the fruit will release a sweet, fragrant juice. You'll know it's ready when a glossy syrup forms at the bottom and the fruit looks brighter.
3. While the fruit macerates, split the vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with the tip of a knife: these are the dark, intensely fragrant specks. In a bowl, work the mascarpone with the icing sugar and vanilla seeds until smooth and creamy. Immediately afterwards, whip the very cold cream in a chilled bowl (15 minutes in the freezer helps greatly) with an electric whisk, stopping when it is soft but still supple, just able to hold its shape. Fold it into the mascarpone a little at a time with a spatula, mixing from the bottom upwards so it doesn't deflate. The cream is ready when it is velvety and free of lumps: keep it in the fridge until serving.
4. Fill transparent glasses or small bowls with the fruit salad, also pouring in its juice, which is the best part. Add a generous spoonful of mascarpone cream to the centre, letting it drop gently. Finish with a drizzle of acacia honey and a mint leaf, briefly rubbed between your fingers to release its aroma. Always taste before bringing to the table and serve immediately, while the cream is fresh and the fruit still crisp.