Instructions: Put the sugar and the vanilla pod in a thickbottomed pan with 250ml water.

Bring slowly to the boil then turn down to a simmer until the sugar has dissolved.

Add the plums and apricots and simmer for about 5 minutes or until tender.

Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for a further 2 minutes.

Transfer the fruits and syrup to a heatproof serving dish.

Cut the passion fruit in half; scoop the seeds and juice into the warm fruits.

Gently stir in the lime juice and serve warm or chilled.

The best way to bring out flavour in any fruit is to warm it. Any fruit salad mixture with I think the exception of strawberries benetts from a short time in a mild sugar syrup. This is a particularly useful way of presenting fruit that turns out not to be as good as it looked.

Serves 4

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