Blueberry Peach Fruit Salad With Thyme

Blueberry, peach, nectarine fruit salad seasoned with fresh thyme, ginger, and lemon juice.

By
Garrett McCord
Garrett McCord
Garrett McCord
Garrett has been writing about food and sharing recipes for 15 years. He is the author of Melt: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese.
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Updated August 27, 2021
Garrett McCord
blueberry peach fruit salad
Elise Bauer

Years ago my mom, Suzanne McCord, was diagnosed with breast cancer.

I was surprised when I heard the news, at the time, my mother was in her early sixties, and insanely active and healthy. The woman participated the AIDS lifecycle event; a 6 day, 550 mile bike ride. A few days after, she was off to Egypt and Russia.

I get tired biking to work, and my last big trip was Napa which is only an hour away. In fact, her main concern after being diagnosed was that the surgery would get in the way of her bike riding.

After hearing about mom, I went to work doing some research about ways I could help using what I know best - food. I wanted to put together something that was easy to prepare and full of flavor. I developed this recipe.

This simple fruit salad works at the start of the meal or as a dessert. The fruit is lightly glazed with either a simple syrup or agave syrup.

Ginger, a bit of lemon, and some savory thyme which pairs amazingly with summer fruits accents the tartness of the berries and the sweetness of the stone fruit.

In recognition of my awesome, kicking cancer-butt mom, I’ve nicknamed this a Suzanne Salad.

Blueberry Peach Fruit Salad With Thyme

Prep Time 15 mins
Total Time 15 mins
Servings 4 to 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 peaches
  • 4 nectarines
  • 1 cup of blueberries
  • 2 teaspoons of fresh, chopped thyme
  • 1 teaspoon of grated ginger
  • 1/4 cup of lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon of lemon zest
  • 1/2 cup of water
  • 1/4 cup of sugar (depending on how sweet the fruit is, you may be able to skip all together)
  • Or 1 tablespoon of agave syrup in lieu of water and sugar

Method

  1. Make simple syrup:

    If using water and sugar place them into a sauce pan and bring to a boil and liquid is reduced by half into a simple syrup. Allow to cool.

  2. Combine ingredients:

    Chop up the peaches and nectarines and place them in a bowl with the blueberries. Pour over the cooled simple syrup or agave syrup. Add the thyme, lemon juice, lemon zest, and ginger.

  3. Chill for 1 hour:

    Stir and cover with plastic wrap, place in the fridge and allow to macerate for one hour. Serve.

Garrett's mom on her bike
Garrett's mom on her bike. Elise Bauer

Luckily, her surgery was a success and with the doctors finding no need to proceed with chemo or radiation she is well on the road of recovery; something she attributes to getting her yearly mammogram, which allowed her to catch it early.

Kiddos, please be sure to get yourself checked regularly by your doctor in order to keep yourself healthy, aware, and safe.

I, Elise, and my mother all encourage you to please check out the links at the end of this post for information on cancer awareness and various resources.

American Institute of Cancer Research's list of cancer-fighting foods

American Cancer Society

Prostate Cancer Foundation