Peaches, blackberries, and strawberries with basil and pepper recipe

Fruit salad is theoretically a healthful alternative to other desserts but don’t expect that from the canned variety, which typically comes heavily processed, packaged in a sugar-laden syrup, and barely recognizable. Fresh fruit makes a much better starting point and just a few simple tweaks dress it up. We chose a combination of peaches, blackberries, and strawberries, which looked beautiful and provided a range of complementary flavors as well as fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin K. A small amount of sugar encouraged the fruit to release its juices, creating a more cohesive salad. For complexity, we mashed the sugar with fragrant, fresh basil before stirring it into the fruit, which ensured even distribution of flavor. To balance the sweetness, we added fresh lime juice. A bit of pepper brought the flavors to life. Nectarines can be substituted for the peaches.