We love planning ingredient based dinner parties. These dinners require us to flex our creativity and skill in order to weave a single ingredient into a tasty, well balanced meal. In the past, our single ingredient dinners featured mango, strawberry, cherry and apple. Since it’s pineapple season, we created a delicious meal that features this tangy, sweet tropical fruit. We are excited to show you how we partied like a pineapple!
Pineapples are available year-round, but their peak season runs from March through July. Pineapples are low in fat and rich in antioxidants and vitamins. Their sweet and sour flavor works well with both savory and sweet dishes.
There are four varieties of pineapples:
Smooth Cayenne: grown in Hawaii | 4 to 10 lbs | orange rind and yellow flesh | known for juiciness, acidity and sweetness
Red Spanish: grown in Mexico, Puerto Rico and Central America | 3 to 6 lbs | orange-red rind | known for acidity and fragrance
Queen: grown in South Africa and Australia | 1 to 6 lbs | orange-golden rind | known for lower acidity, juiciness and sweetness than Smooth Cayenne
Abacaxi: grown in Brazil | 2 to 11 lbs | golden rind | known for sweetness
We recommend buying the largest, plumpest pineapple in the store. Peak fruit will have a dark colored rind, crisp, dark green leaves and be slightly soft. Avoid pineapples that have dark spots on the skin, which is an indication of overripeness. One medium sized pineapple will yield approximately three cups of pineapple chunks. We recommend investing in a pineapple corer to get fresh, perfectly shaped pineapple rings.
MENU
Crafting a menu with a single ingredient can be tricky. Some courses call for the main ingredient to be at the center of the plate, while at other times it plays a supporting role. Pineapple pairs well with other tropical fruits such as banana, mango, orange, raspberry, strawberry. It also goes nicely with basil, caramel, chili pepper, cilantro, cinnamon, coconut, ginger, lime, macadamia, pepper, rosemary and tamarind.
We selected a red and white color palette with pops of green and yellow. We used a fresh pineapple as the table centerpiece. We set the table with chic melamine tableware from
Each place setting included a red and white appetizer plate, dinner plate and salad bowl. We rounded out the place setting with a crisp, red napkin and a shatterproof, stemless wine glass from Poolside Creations.
We began our meal with sparkling wine and assortment of pineapple appetizers: mini brioche toasts with pineapple salsa, dried pineapple rings, and rosemary pineapple mozzarella bites. It was a unique dining experience to taste pineapple in different preparations: fresh chucks, dried rings and delicious salsa.
Next, we enjoyed a refreshing pineapple spinach salad. This was a nice twist on the traditional strawberry spinach salad.
For the main course, we feasted on grilled lamb chops with a fresh pineapple and mint salsa.
We concluded our meal with a vanilla ice cream with grilled pineapple. When pineapple is grilled, the fruit takes on caramelized notes. If you have not tried this combination yet, we highly recommend it.
We loved incorporating pineapple into a single ingredient dinner party. For more seasonal spring and summer ideas, check out the list of fruit and veggies below.
JUNE
VEGETABLES
Asparagus | Carrots | Celery | Chard | Chicory | Cucumbers | Garlic | Green Beans | Peas | Radishes | Tomatoes | Radish | Rhubarb | Watercress
FRUIT
Apricot | Black Cherry | Cherries | Gooseberries | Melons | Pear | Plum | Peach | Nectarine | Raspberries | Strawberries
JULY
VEGETABLES
Broad Beans | Cucumbers | Garlic | Green Beans | Peas | Radishes | Watercress
FRUIT
Bilberries | Blueberries | Cherries | Black, Red and White Currants | Gooseberries | Raspberries | Strawberries
“Be a pineapple: Stand tall, wear a crown, and be sweet on the inside” – Katherine Gaskin
What a great themed menu!! I used to love pineapple, I considered it my LUCKY fruit! 😉 Sadly, I cannot eat fruit anymore 🙁
I love pineapple! Definitely didn’t know these 4 different variations though. I’d love to give these small plates a try this summer! Thanks for sharing.
I love pineapples! This party would be great for having a few friends over in the summer, it’s super unique!
These are amazing!!! I love themed parties and menus. Yours looks awesome and i am sure it tastes amazing. Love it.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a menu so filled with pineapples. I really love pineapples too so this is something that I would definitely love to create.
Never knew there are four species of pineapple. Thanks for the insights.
OMG what a creative idea! I love pineapple so these are definitely must-tries
That pineapple spinach salad sounds refreshing. I love mixing sweet and savory together.
Great theme. And love the cutlery and food pics. So tempting. Pinapple is my favourite. Love the tangy freshness.
Pineapples are so yummy! I love your ideas for a nice meal with them. Thanks for sharing!
I love finding a new pineapple recipe to try. I’m always so scared I am going to mess it up somehow. These give me sp much idea.
I’m not sure I should have read this post while my husband is cooking dinner – now I want to send him back to the supermarket and buy ingredients for this food 🙂
Such great ways to eat pineapple. I really love this fruit. It is so healthy, delicious and refreshing.
Nothing makes a great party like a pineapple. So many delicious things you can do with it. I even love it on pizza even if it’s not a popular topping.
I always include pineapple in my parties but I am allergic to pineapple. But yes, it is perfect!
I miss pineapple. I’m allergic to it now, apparently… *BIG THUMBS DOWN* But now you got me thinking about themed meals…
Pineapple is one of my fave fruits! I don’t care what anyone says it belongs in salad, on pizza, with ice cream and omg I must try the bocconcini mozza bites! Great mix of tangy, sweet and salty!
I absolutely love pineapple and I love how you have incorporated into all of these dishes.