THERE’S NOT A PROPER LADY IN LOUISVILLE, Savannah, Montgomery, or Little Rock who wouldn’t consider a frozen fruit salad such as this one the height of elegance for her bridge club or a summertime patio luncheon—served typically with trimmed finger sandwiches or tiny ham biscuits. Of course, the salad could be (and often is) made with canned or frozen fruit, but as any fastidious hostess knows, not only is it a shame not to use fresh fruit (pineapple included) when it’s readily available, but the differences in taste and texture are almost radical. (One of the most
spectacular frozen fruit salads I ever tasted, by the way, was made primarily with papaya, mango, and star fruit by a restaurant chef at Cypress Gardens, near Winter Haven, Florida.)

Makes 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

• One 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 1⁄4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 cups rinsed fresh raspberries
• 1 cup peeled, pitted, and sliced ripe fresh peaches
• 1⁄2 cup stemmed and rinsed fresh blueberries
• 2 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup diced fresh pineapple
• 1 cup heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks
• 8 Bibb lettuce leaves
• 8 rinsed and pitted ripe cherries for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, mayonnaise, sugar, and lemon juice with a wooden spoon until well blended and smooth.
2. Add the raspberries, peaches, blueberries, bananas, and pineapple to the mixture. Stir gently until well blended.
3. Fold in the whipped cream until well blended.
4. Scrape the mixture into a large loaf pan and cover with plastic wrap.
5. Place the pan in the freezer and let it freeze overnight.
6. When ready to serve, slice the frozen loaf into 8 sections using a sharp knife.
7. Place each section on a lettuce leaf on a salad plate.
8. Let the slices stand for about 10 minutes to soften slightly.
9. Garnish each slice with a whole cherry.