Fruit Salad in Vanilla-Mint Syrup

• Zest from 1 orange, in strips
• 1 strip of lemon zest
• 1 vanilla bean, split
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 6 sprigs mint; plus 3 leaves, cut across into thin strips
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 fresh pineapple, peeled, quartered lengthwise, cored and thinly sliced crosswise
• 1/2 ripe papaya, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced crosswise
• 1/2 ripe mango, peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise
• 1 banana, peeled and sliced

1. Combine the orange and lemon zest, vanilla bean, sugar, 5 sprigs mint and water in a saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil.
3. Remove from the heat and let stand at least 2 hours.
4. Strain.
5. Stir the fruit into the syrup and refrigerate for 2 hours.
6. Stir in the sliced mint and garnish with a mint sprig.

orange, lemon zest, vanilla bean, sugar, mint, water, pineapple, papaya, mango, banana

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/7832 (may not work)