Winter Fruit Salad

Ingredients

3/4 cup sugar

3 star anise

1/2 vanilla bean plump, split in half lengthwise

8 dried Turkish apricots cut in half

4 dried figs quartered

4 piece lemon zest 2-inch long pieces, from a Meyer lemon if you can find one

lemon juice Juice of the zest lemon

4 cup water

3 Bosc pears firm

1 tart apple firm

half pomegranate seeds from half a pomegranate

Equipment

saucepan

vegetable peeler

large bowl

plastic wrap

slotted spoon

Directions

Fill a medium saucepan with 4 cups water. Add the sugar, star anise, vanilla bean and lemon zest. Bring to a boil, and cook until all the sugar is dissolved. Let it cool for just a few minutes (it should still be hot) and then stir in the dried figs and apricots. Let it cool completely.

Meanwhile, peel and core pears and apple. Slice thinly lengthwise and place in a large bowl, and toss with the lemon juice.

Once the syrup with dried fruit has cooled, pour it over the apples and pears. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill it overnight in the refrigerator.

The next morning, using a slotted spoon, ladle the fruit into a serving bowl, sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds and serve. Remove the vanilla beans (you can rinse and save what is left of them for another use) and lemon peels if you wish, or leave them in for decoration.