For the record, I’m a big fan of the mini-marshmallow.
Big fan.
One of my greatest food memories is cozying up to a marshmallow-y fruit salad—classic Southern ambrosia—that someone brought to my grandfather’s after-funeral gathering. I’ll never forget the way the baby marshmallows melted into the citrus, creating creamy goodness and a perfect comforting texture. I couldn’t stop eating it. Years later, I similarly fell in love with something called Green Stuff, a congealed cottage cheese and marshmallow fruit salad made by an old boyfriend’s mother and always served at his family’s Thanksgiving dinner. Yum. I love a bowl of retro.
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But as much as I savor marshmallows, and as much as I bow down to tradition, this year, I wanted an all-natural version of the classic holiday side. This ambrosia takes advantage of three kinds of local citrus, including kumquats that have been quickly candied. It also includes unsweetened coconut and all-natural pitted cherries. A tablespoon of honey gives it a kick of sweetness.
Marshmallows—God bless ’em—are optional.
All-natural ambrosia recipe
Makes 3 cups or 4 servings
1 cup water
½ cup sugar
About 10 kumquats, seeded and sliced thin
1 grapefruit
2 oranges
1 banana, sliced
½ cup unsweetened dried coconut, plus ¼ cup for garnish
1 tablespoon honey
¼ cup pitted bing cherries, patted dry and sliced in half (Look for cherries with no red dye. I use Tillen Farms)
Fresh chopped mint for garnish
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First, make candied kumquats by bringing the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Turn off the heat, add the sugar and whisk vigorously. Add the slices of kumquat and let steep for 10 minutes. Remove kumquat slices from syrup and set aside.
Section the grapefruit and oranges, removing pith, and add the sections to a medium bowl. Add the sliced banana, kumquats, coconut, honey and cherries. Stir to combine. Serve in small bowls and garnish with mint and more coconut.
Maggie Heyn Richardson is a regular 225 contributor and author of Hungry for Louisiana, An Omnivore’s Journey, the stories behind eight of Louisiana’s most beloved dishes, with recipes. Reach her at hungryforlouisiana.com.