The great thing about summer is all the delicious fruit that comes with the season.  Seriously who doesn’t like a fresh juicy peach or a sweet little apricot? Of course, you have a rainbow of colors for plums that are all delicious.  After a visit to the farmer’s market in Sacramento, I came home with sacks of peaches, plums, apricots, pluots, and cherries.  We eat a lot of fruit but some of these are for tonight’s dessert ~ Grilled Fruit Salsa Dip.

During the hot days of summer, I grill my desserts

Summer in Sacramento means hot days, so turning my oven on doesn’t happen much, but grilling does.  I love cooking my desserts on the grill and grilling fruit is easy.   The intense heat from the grill caramelizes the sugar in fruit which brings out an entirely different flavor.  Some grill best cut in half and all can be cut in large chunks and skewered.  If you have a grill basket that’s a perfect way to grill fruits, that way nothing falls through the grates.

Lightly coat the fruit with olive oil and a sprinkle of sugar for some sweetness.

~These are my favorite fruits to grill ~

• Apricots
• Bananas
• Cherries
• Lemons/Limes
• Peaches
• Pineapple
• Plums
• Watermelon

I think pineapple is the best fruit to grill so I added some to the cherry skewers.  Cut the peaches, apricots, and plums in half and remove the seed,  and the good thing, you don’t have to peel the fruits.

This Grilled Fruit Salsa Dip is a fun way to share dessert with your family.  The fruit salsa tops a base of honey mascarpone cheese with lime zest and is perfect for dipping pita chips in. Everyone can dig in.

The recipe for this dip is very simple, just grill the fruit for about 10 – 15 minutes until you get nice grill marks and the juices start to sizzle on the grates. After the fruit cools chop into small pieces.

Mix the mascarpone cheese, honey and lime zest in a bowl then spread on a plate and cover with the fruit.  I like to sprinkle more lime zest on top for some added flavor. That is it.

I have added the recipe for this dip, but feel free to use the fruits you like.  You can add more fruit for a bigger plate, but what I have found is you don’t really need much fruit.  I usually have leftover chopped fruit so I use that on my pancakes, yogurt or ice cream.

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Grilled Fruit Salsa Dip

This Grilled Fruit Salsa Dip with Honey Mascarpone is simply to make and the perfect dessert for sharing.  Peaches, apricots, plums, cherries, and pineapple are grilled and chopped then spread on top of the mascarpone.  Add some pita chips for dipping.

Ingredients

• 3-4 any or all peaches, apricot, plums
• 10 cherries, pitted
• 1/2 cup pineapple chunks
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 8 oz. mascarpone cheese
• 1 tbls. honey
• 1/2 tbls. lime zest
• 2 tsp. lime juice
• additional lime zest for garnish
• Pita Chips

Instructions

Grilling the Fruit

1. Heat the grill, once heated turn down to low.

2. Prepare the fruit for grilling. You can cut the peaches, apricots, plums in half and remove the pit, or you can cut in large chunks to skewer. 

3. Skewer the pitted cherries and pineapple chunks.

4. Lightly sprinkle olive oil over the fruit and sprinkle with sugar if desired.

5. Place the fruit on the hot grill for about 5 minutes, turn and grill for 5 more minutes.  At this time you need to watch your fruit, turning occasionally until the juices are bubbling and grill marks appear on the fruit.  

   Some fruits will grill faster than others so pull them off when done.

6. Remove all fruit from grill and let cool.  Once cooled chop and place in a bowl. 

7. While the fruit is cooling mix the mascarpone cheese, honey, lime juice and lime zest in a small bowl.  

8. Spread the mascarpone cheese on a rimmed plate and spoon the chopped fruit on top.  Grate additional lime zest on top for garnish.

   Serve with pita chips for dipping.
   

   
   

9. Alternately, you can chop all the fruit, mix with the olive oil and sugar and place in a grill pan.  Grill over low, stirring the fruit occasionally.

   You still will want very small chunks for fruit for dipping.

   
   

Let’s dig in.

Add some chips for dipping, pita chips work the best.

Today’s temperature 103 degrees!!!

Yes, believe it or not when it is this hot out we still eat outside on our patio.  The good thing is it is covered and usually 10 degrees cooler. Plus we eat late.  But I’m not going to fool you, it’s still hot!

Grilling outside usually means family and friends are sitting around your picnic table sharing stories, food and good times; that’s why I love making this Grilled Fruit Salsa Dip, it just adds fun to the occasion of sharing.

I hope you try this tasty recipe, and here are some more dessert recipes for you to grill.

Grilled Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Grilled Cheese with Strawberries

Grilled Cherry Pandowdy

If you are going to grill skewers are a must, and for pitting cherries, I highly recommend a cherry pitter to make your life easier.


Here’s to desserts on the grill.