Tropical Fruit Salad with Toasted Coconut

½ cup shredded sweetened coconut

1 ripe pineapple, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

1 ripe papaya, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks

1 ripe cantaloupe, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks

1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted and cut into 1 inch chunks

Juice of 1 lime

Fresh mint leaves, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the coconut on a baking pan and toast for about 5 minutes, or until golden but not burned. Cool.

Place cut fruit into a large bowl. Add the lime and mix to combine. Sprinkle the toasted coconut over the fruit just before serving. Garnish with mint and serve in small plates or bowls.

Serves 6

Recipe tips:

1. Make sure to buy the fruit a few days ahead so that it is perfectly ripe when making the salad.

2. Use a serrated peeler if you want to peel peaches or nectarines (you won't need to blanch them to remove the skin).

3. Use a strawberry huller to remove the stems of strawberries if you decide to use them.

4. If you're having trouble cutting a mango, search "how to cut a mango" on the Web.

© DIANE ROSSEN WORTHINGTON