What you need is advice from an old hobbit who knows his way around a kitchen! I served this up on a thread somewhere out there about a year ago or so.
Beorn's Honeyed Fruit Salad
This is a sweet treat with Beorn's favorite additive, pure local honey. You can sometimes find local honey at specialty shops, flea markets, or farmer's markets. I know a keeper of a local apiary and buy it for just $7.00(US) a quart/liter!
2 Nectarines
2 Big Purple Plums
2 Ripe Peaches
2 Granny Smith Apples
1 Small Bunch, seedless white/green grapes
1 Small Bunch, seedless red grapes
1 Small Bunch, seedless purple grapes (I like color!)
1 Pint Half & Half (Heavy Cream)
Wash all fruit. Cut all fruit into VERY small pieces (except grapes). Place all fruit in VERY large bowl. Add grapes to fill bowl. Cover with nearly 1 pint (500 ml) honey. This might not seem like much, but watch out, the fluid level will rise over time! Mix well. Let sit and chill, an hour is fine, a day is great!
You will notice that the apples do not brown. Honey is a natural preservative! It is also hydroscopic, so it sucks moisture from the cut fruit. (That's why a little honey will go a long long long way.)
OH MY! The marriage of the apples, nectarines, plums, and peaches in the honey makes a sweet blended taste with a bite! Mmmmmmmmmm! (A good reason to fix this a day ahead if you can, for it is even better the second day! And the third! But do fix it at least an hour ahead and you will not be disappointed.) Left over honeyed fruit juice can be mixed with pure water and chilled for a delicious and refreshing beverage, or poured thick as it is over ice cream!
Serve with a little heavy cream (Half & Half in the US) separately, to be poured over it by your guests as they wish. Cream was another favorite of Beorn!
(Some folk also like a little shredded coconut with this, but I doubt Beorn had it imported from Far Harad up the River Running and out of the Woodland Realm across Mirkwood!)
You can try your own mix of fruits, though I have found that to my palate, these fruits marry best with the honey. Melons do not do well. Citrus is alright.
Serves a light, luscious, refreshing desert for: 1 large Beorning, 1 small hobbit, 1 hungry wizard, and 13 famished dwarves. Plenty of energy for a night of long tales and songs!
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