Tuesday Treats!
The first time I had Macedonia, I was with my family in Accettura, Italy. This salad is so light, sweet, and so juicy! It is always served at the end of the meal, as a digestive dessert. Most of the time, I felt I could barely lift my spoon to my mouth, I was so full after eating the olives, the meats, cheeses, salads, and handmade fettuccine with Bolognese sauce. My favorite Italian phrase became "Sono piena!" (I'm full!), as they tried to top off my energy stores 3-days prior to running the Rome marathon in 2015. My family would laugh and tell me I hadn't eaten enough. That's what we do.... Noi Mangiamo! (We eat!). The word macedonia had been referenced to the fruit salad since the mid-1700s. There is much speculation as to where it comes from. One idea is that the diverse origin of the people of Alexander's Macedonian Empire, led to the term being used as a reference to a mixed population of people, but again, this is pure speculation.
Below is my family's traditional recipe, followed by some variations.
Traditional Recipe Ingredients
*4-apples, skinned and finely chopped (I prefer a sweet and crunchy variety like a Honeycrisp, but any sweet red variety will do. Green apples may be too tart as a base)
*6-Strawberries, finely chopped
*The juice of one large orange
*The juice of 1/4 of a lemon
*1 teaspoon of granulated sugar
Mix the ingredients together in a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes. This dish can easily be made the day before serving. Once it has chilled and settled, gently mix again, spoon into individual serving dishes, and if you prefer, top it off with some whipped cream.
Below is another variation that includes 4-apples and 2-pears, (omitting the strawberries), then including the rest of the ingredients in the above traditional recipe.
Below is another variation that includes 4-apples, 2-pears, and 6-strawberries, then including the rest of the ingredients in the above traditional recipe.
Be creative here. Use any fruits you can think of: kiwi, blueberries, pomegranates, raspberries, dragon fruit, orange slices, grapes, peaches, plums,..... the list is endless.....What makes this dish so special is the citrus juices and the sugar that blend with the fruit to create a sweet, delicious, dessert.
Don't forget to join us on future Tuesdays for more quick and creative treats! They will be big in flavor with minimal work!
-Mangia!!
Xoxo -Lisa