Spiced Summer Fruit Salad

Here's a fruit salad for late summer, when the season's fruits are no longer at their peak of flavor and can use a bit of assistance. Choose from the best of what's left of the season — berries, stone fruits, and melons.

Serves: 6

• 6 to 7 cups fresh summer fruit (choose several among strawberries, cherries,
  blueberries, melons, peaches, plums, grapes, nectarines, etc.)
• 1  to 1 ½ cups vanilla nondairy yogurt (coconut or soy)
• ⅓ cup currants, raisins, dried cranberries, or dried cherries
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh or jarred ginger
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground or grated fresh nutmeg

Pit and dice any fruits that need that kind of prep; leave small berries whole; remove hulls from strawberries and cut them in halves or quarters if large.

Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly. Cover and chill before serving, or serve at once.

• Here are more recipes for fruity compositions.