Yucky Fruit

[2cat_lady]

I'm finding it very challenging to put fresh fruit in front of my guests. Weather has been poopy. High winds make it hard for ferry crossings and that's how most of our fresh produce comes to the island. I've been existing on trying to make oranges and bananas look creative. The other stuff that adds colour, like berries and such have looked horrible this past week. Not only is it a small fortune, but I would even cave in if it looked half decent. I've also been serving fruit crisps in small ramekins with the fresh fruit on the side to make it look bigger, but I can't do that every morning, especially if I have folks for a couple of days--and these are usually my business people.
Any suggestions? Do you do something magical with canned fruit or even frozen so that it passes the refined palette test?

 

[Morticia]

I would stick with baking. Fruit crisps and scones are perfectly fine for starters. Frozen blueberries and cranberries do well in baked dishes.
I've done a cake and made a grape 'sauce' to go over it. (Food network recipe.) You need just a few red grapes and they're cut up and cooked down a bit.
Banana crepes? Apples generally survive the store pretty well.
I hate when the fresh fruit is unfit.

 

[TheBeachHouse]

A couple places in my town serve smoothies as a starter.
Another idea is grapefruit halves or even orange halves. Cut them with jagged edges and add a cherry on top for a really pretty presentation.
In a pinch, I have even served apple sauce.

 

[Flower]

I would stick with baking. Fruit crisps and scones are perfectly fine for starters. Frozen blueberries and cranberries do well in baked dishes.
I've done a cake and made a grape 'sauce' to go over it. (Food network recipe.) You need just a few red grapes and they're cut up and cooked down a bit.
Banana crepes? Apples generally survive the store pretty well.
I hate when the fresh fruit is unfit..

How about fruit soups?
Smoothies with a small muffin on the side of the plate.
Canned pears in a sauce like a raspberry sauce that it sits in the bottom of the dish or poured over the pear. . I also have served a half of a broiled orange , with a cherry on top. A bit of brown sugar on top before you put it under the broiler. Also might like to try a wee bit of sherry over the orange or an orange brandy before putting it under the broiler. Treat it like a grapefruit.
I also use apples that have been stuffed with and canrasins and a wee bit of butter mixed with cin, nutmeg topped with granola crumble. put in oven for 15 to 30 mins depending on size of apples. I also use apple juice in the the pan while cooking the apples. Then use that as the sauce to pour over cooked apples.There are so many stuffing you can use in side the apples.

 

[muirford]

There is a recipe on here that I used all winter long - Farmstand Apple Soup (named courtesy of our own sweet TipsyButler). https://www.innspiring.com/recipe/breakfast/farmstand-apple-soup
works with pears, too, or a mix.
Baked bananas (baked in a small amount of orange juice), with a little brown sugar and granola sprinkled on top.

 

[EmptyNest]

I do a poached pears dish that everyone loves. And also apple dishes like apple crisp, or baked apples, or fried apples...tons of recipes for these.

 

[Anon Inn]

Pomegranate looks great in a citrus based salad and they keep as long as the citrus does.
Opal apples don't get brown when cut. Sweet tart taste plus you can attractively slice and microwave for instant Apple compote. I think the apple tip came from someone here.

 

[muirford]

Some timely recipes from Southern Living today:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/lemon-tiramisu
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/luscious-orange-panna-cotta
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/elegant-citrus-tart
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/creamy-citrus-tartlets
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/tangerine-pudding
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/lemon-mascarpone-icebox-tarts

 

[Morticia]

Some timely recipes from Southern Living today:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/lemon-tiramisu
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/luscious-orange-panna-cotta
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/elegant-citrus-tart
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/creamy-citrus-tartlets
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/tangerine-pudding
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/lemon-mascarpone-icebox-tarts.

Oh, yes, panna cotta is a good one. So many variations on that. And you can use things like canned pumpkin or chocolate and you can cook down the fruit to go on top of a vanilla panna cotta. As long as the fruit tastes good but just isn't pretty enough to serve on its own.
I have never plated them, just serve them in the ramekins they were set up in.

 

[muirford]

Chia puddings are trendy: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/blood-orange-chia-pudding?mbid=social_facebook

 

[Generic]

Flavoured applesauce. My favourite, ginger. But you can put other fruit in there too, chai tea, green tea.

 

[TheBeachHouse]

Fried honey bananas.
1 banana sliced
1 tbls honey
cinnamon
olive oil
1 tbls water
Instructions:
whisk together honey and 1 tbls water
lightly drizzle olive oil (or spray) in a skillet over medium heat
add banana slices to pan and cook for 1 - 2 minutes on each side
remove pan from heat and pour honey mixture over banana
allow to cool and sprinkle with cinnamon.