Fruit salad: It doesn’t sound very exciting, because it normally isn’t. But that’s because most fruit salad contains cantaloupe (gross) and doesn’t include mint sugar. This version is super easy (you literally just cut a few things up and stir) and is so good that every time I make it, someone asks me for the recipe. Every time.

Right now is the perfect time to make it, too, because you can get some really delicious fruit and mint at the farmer’s market.

The fruits I always use are blackberries, peaches and green grapes. But strawberries and/or cherries are also great additions — whatever looks awesome.

I usually use a small food processor to make the mint sugar, but if you don’t have one (or can’t find it), you can roll the leaves together into the shape of a cigarette to cut them up, then stir the cut up leaves together with the sugar.

It’s best the same day it’s made, particularly if you use strawberries. But it’s certainly not bad the next day, either.

Fruit salad with mint sugar (Adapted from Gourmet magazine, serves about 6)
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
3 tablespoons sugar
2 to 1/2 cups blackberries
3-4 firm ripe peaches
1 1/2 cups green grapes
1 1/2 cups strawberries or cherries

Rinse the mint leaves, dab them with a paper towel, and place them in a small food processor with the sugar. Pulse to combine. (Alternately, you can cut up the mint leaves and stir them together with the sugar.

Rinse the fruit. Place the blackberries in a serving bowl. Cut the peaches into pieces and add the pieces to the bowl. Cut the grapes in half and add those to the bowl. Cut the stems off the strawberries and slice them into quarters, or pit the cherries, and add those to the bowl.

Sprinkle the mint sugar over the fruit and stir to coat the fruit. Allow the fruit salad to sit for about 10 minutes before serving.