Frutta e Vino -- Fresh Fruits in Sauterne Wine

Instructions

Use the fruits listed in the first column or any other combination of fruit that is at it’s best for the season. Make balls of all the melons. Rinse, drain and hull the strawberries, do not cut. They will lose their color if you do cut them. Rinse, drain and pick over the blueberries. Rinse grapes, dry with paper towels and pick off the stems. Peel oranges and grapefruit, removing as much of the bitter, white pith as possible. Rinse and core the apple, but do not peel, it will darken. Slice the apple very thinly. Peel the peaches, pit them and slice them thin. Rinse the nectarine, pit them and slice them. Do not peel.

Combine all prepared fruits in a very large bowl. There will be at least 14-15 cups of fruit. Pour the sauternes over the fruit. Make sure you have enough Sauternes to cover all the fruit. Stir to coat all the fruit.
Cover and refrigerate at least 3-4 hours but preferably over night. Before serving peel and slice the bananas and mix in.

Author's Comments

For a very dramatic effect I have always seen this served, and served it myself, in a watermelon basket! You need at least 5 pounds of watermelon for the recipe, so the shell of the watermelon becomes the serving dish. And, although not really Old Country Italian, I’ve included the recipe in this section for a watermelon basket. Note: Be sure to drain the fruits well before serving them or placing them in the watermelon basket.

* Also: be sure to use SWEET SAUTERNES! The fruit is not sugared. When purchasing the Sauternes, remember this ALL FRENCH Sauternes are Sweet. However, if you buy a domestic or American Sauternes, you must specify -Sweet!

From my cookbook: The "Old Country" Italian Cookbook, by Donald J.P. La Marca