Fresh Fruit Salad in Orange Vanilla Sauce

Fresh strawberries, blueberries, and grapes laced with a sauce of orange and vanilla.

This salad is adapted from one I saw Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman on Food TV,  make the other morning.  I am not sure I recollect her proportions but these worked just great for us plus I had everything I used on hand.  It is both beautiful and nutritious .  Full of anti-oxidants and just dripping with delicious!

Ingredients for Fresh Fruit Salad in Orange Vanilla Sauce:

4 C. washed and quartered strawberries
2 C. washed and halved red grapes
2 C. washed and halved green grapes
1 C. rinsed blueberries
1 orange
1 vanilla bean ( or substitute 1/2 t. vanilla extract)
1 C. sugar
1 C. water

Wash and zest the orange.  Then, squeeze the juice from the orange into a small saucepan.  Add the zest, water, sugar, and the seeds obtained by splitting the vanilla bean and running a teaspoon down its opened length to collect them.  Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer stirring to dissolve the sugar.  Let it simmer 15-20 minutes, then turn off and let cool.

Meanwhile combine the fruits and set aside.  When the sauce is cooled pour over the fruit salad and stir well.  Cover, chill,  and let steep in the sauce as it just get better as it sits.  Stir once or twice before serving.  Yield 8 servings.