Fruit Salad with Orange-Vanilla Syrup

This is so simple, yet so flavorful!  Don't worry about the syrup making the fruit too sweet.  It simply adds to it, making it oh, so good!  Great treat!  You can use pretty much any fruit you have on hand, but I strongly encourage the use of strawberries in the mix.  It gives it an exceptional taste.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

For syrup:

-1 cup water

-1 cup sugar

-1 orange, zested and juiced

-1 tsp vanilla extract

For fruit:

-about 7 lbs of cut up fruit*** I used strawberries, grapes, pears, kiwi and bananas

Directions:

In a small sauce pan, over medium heat, combine the water, sugar, orange zest, orange juice (make sure to leave seeds out) and vanilla.  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Lower the heat and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes or until thickened and reduced.  Remove from heat and let it cool for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut up your fruit and place it in large bowl.  Pour syrup all over and give it a good stir.  Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.  The flavors will combine beautifully.  Using a slotted spoon, scoop into serving dishes and enjoy!

Slightly adapted from a recipe courtesy of Ree Drummond