Home » Food & Drink » Seasonal Cooking » Natural Sweets for Summer Entertaining

Natural Sweets for Summer Entertaining

© Michael Vyskocil

Summer entertaining could mean nothing more than lazy moments on porches or in hammocks in the backyard. But if you add friends and family, arrange simple drinks and bite-size appetizers on trays, it becomes summer entertaining with style. Put a guest in charge of crushing the ice, another squeezing lemons, another cutting up fresh late-summer fruit. Then, mix up some refreshing fruit drinks--like a Mango-Banana Daiquiri or a nonalcoholic Strawberry Punch for those of you who don't indulge. You'll find the recipes for these drinks and a sweet fruit salsa below. So celebrate the end of summer this Labor Day weekend among friends, family and loved ones!

Fruited Breakfast Salsa

MAKES APPROXIMATELY 1 1/2 CUPS

This salsa is a pleasant accompaniment to breakfast toast or scrambled eggs.

1 medium mango, pitted

1/4 pineapple, cored

1 medium tomato, seeded

1 peach, skin removed

1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely minced*

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

Juice of 1/2 lime

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons honey (optional)

Finely chop the mango, pineapple, tomato and peach into pieces of approximately the same size. Combine in a medium bowl.

Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and stir well. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

*NOTE: Some peppers, like the jalapeno in this recipe, hold oils that can irritate and even cause burns to sensitive areas of your body, particularly your eyes, mouth and skin. When preparing hot peppers, always try to wear latex surgeon's gloves to protect your hands from burns. Never touch your face when cutting up a hot pepper. Finally, always wash your hands immediately after handling the peppers.

Mango-Banana Daiquiri

MAKES 4 DRINKS

1 cup ripe mango

2 medium bananas, cut into chunks

4 large strawberries

1/2 cup light rum

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice*

1 tablespoon superfine sugar

2 cups crushed ice

Ground cinnamon, for garnish (optional)

Ground nutmeg, for garnish (optional)

Strawberries, for garnish (optional)

In an electric blender, blend all ingredients, except the cinnamon, nutmeg and garnish strawberries, until smooth and frothy. Pour into chilled glasses and garnish the top of each drink with a sprinkling of ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg and whole strawberries, if desired.

*VARIATIONS: To make creamier daiquiris, substitute 1/2 cup of milk or heavy cream or one 8-ounce carton of plain yogurt for the 1 cup of orange juice.

Strawberry Punch

MAKES 14 TO 16 8-OUNCE DRINKS

A fresh-tasting punch like this one is even better if a wonderful tea is used. I prefer one of the fruit-flavored blends from Fortnum & Mason.

4 cups cold water

3 tablespoons fragrant tea leaves (such as chamomile)