Winter Sunshine Salad

Brighten up a chilly, drippy, dreary day with the sunshiny brightness of pineapples and mandarin oranges sparked with crystallized ginger and kissed with summer in the form of blackberry syrup. I should have made a double batch because it was gone in no time. I served it as a side dish with a meal of venison burgers and baked sweetpotatoes, but it would make a nice, light dessert. "Cooking" time is chilling time.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 2 (20 ounce) cans pineapple chunks
• 2 (11 ounce) cans mandarin oranges, drained
• 1  yellow apple
• 1  red apple
• 1  pears or 1  yellow apple
• 1⁄3 cup walnuts, coarsely broken
• 1  tablespoon crystallized ginger, minced
• 1⁄4 cup  blackberry syrup
• 1 -2  tablespoon spiced rum (optional)

Directions

1. Drain pineapple, reserving juice.
2. Core apples and pear. Cut in bite-sized chunks.
3. Mix fruit, walnuts, and ginger in a large bowl.
4. Dress with the blackberry syrup, 1/4 cup of the reserved pineapple juice, and the rum if desired. Toss well.
5. Chill for 1/2 hour.
6. Toss again and serve.
7. If its a festive occasion this would be particularly pretty served on a leaf of curly endive with a couple red grapes alongside and a puff of whipped cream on top.