Harvest Fruit Salad, Figs, & Vanilla-Honeyed Lebane

It's that time of year - the end of the harvest is near. The fruit and vegetable markets are overflowing with an abundance of a brilliant array of color.

This is a good time of year to take advantage of eating fruits and serving them up in an attractive manner, appealing to your family and visiting friends.

This is a favorite of mine when invited to a barbeque or any kind of end of the summer get-together. Purchase a variety of fruits, including a small watermelon, a melon or two.

Harvest Fruit Salad

Cut the watermelon as shown in the picture below. When halved, use a melon baller and make as many balls as possible. Whatever is left on the bottom and sides, simply scoop out and transfer to a container for another use later. Next, use your melon baller for the other melons and add to the halved watermelons. Cut up the remainder fruits in smaller chunks. Add whole cherries, berries, grapes whole.

VANILLA-HONEYED LEBANE

To 1 cup of leban (or use an all natural low-fat unflavored yogurt), add the following:

1 tsp vanilla (use a good one)

1 tablespoon honey (or more, to taste)
Dash of cinnamon (optional)

Stir to mix well and put it in a small serving bowl. Serve a spoon or two over the fruit salad.

FIGS and HONEYED LEBANE

To your prepared 1/2 cup Lebane (Middle Eastern homemade yogurt cream cheese) add:

dash of vanilla

1-2 Tablespoon honey (to taste)

Mash in ingredients to Lebane and mix well. Halve the figs carefully; take about 1/2 teaspoon of honeyed Lebane to the top of the figs. Add 1/2 walnut if desired.