Back when I was a kid in Southern California we used to always visit Uncle Sam and Aunt Pat up in the foothills of La Crescenta. What I always loved best about Aunt Pat’s spread was her fruit salad. No, I don’t mean ambrosia or some other facsimile that folks may think of as a fruit salad. IMHO, honest-to-goodness fruit salad absolutely MUST have a sour cream base.
Anyway, for the past 30 years or so I’ve incorporated Aunt Pat’s recipe into my own Thanksgiving holiday tradition. Folks do seem to enjoy it too. I call it “world famous” now, because I’ve been serving it up here in Korea to friends and co-workers since 2005 and if the empty bowl is any indication it’s a popular treat. So, without further adieu, I’m going to put the recipe right here on the internet.
For a Family-size serving:
30 oz can of fruit cocktail
15 oz can of mandarin oranges
1 apple (I prefer granny smith)
3 bananas
5 oz of pecan pieces
3/4 cup coconut
1/2 cup baby marshmellows
16 oz sour cream
open and drain fruit cocktail and manadrin oranges. cut apple into small chunks. slice bananas into bite-size pieces. place them all in a bowl and stir in sour cream until fruit is well covered. mix in pecans. add coconut and marshmellows and stir until all are well blended. add additional coconut and/or marshmellow to sweeten to taste.
Best when chilled for two or three hours before serving.
That’s all there is to it. Enjoy!
