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This time of year the fruit doesn't need any dressing. I like to have a nice, big, huge, juicy pineapple as the base (melon, I find, is less flavorful... plus it tends to give me migraines).
This time of year I'd start with pineapple, cut up some nice strawberries (bright red doesn't mean tasty, but if you smell them, you should get a big whiff of that delicious strawberry scent), kiwi, blueberries (if you like them; I hate them), honey dew and canteloupe should both be fine this time of year. I also cut up one of those itty bitty tiny round watermelons. They are usually pretty sweet and they aren't overwhelming to buy since they're pretty tiny. I also love, love, love mango, so I highly recommend finding a nice ripe mango. If it's not ripe yet, stick it in a paperbag on the counter for a day or two and it will ripen.
I don't use bananas because they get too mushy. I don't use oranges because they're a pain in the rear to section, unless you use canned fruit, which I don't care for in fruit salad, and I don't use too many berries this time of year (e.g. blackberries, raspberries), becaue they won't be at their sweetest until summer.
A lot of people put grapes in their fruit salad as well, which I don't tend to care for. I'd rather eat grapes separately for some reason.
A nice way to serve it is to hollow out half a watermelon and cut the edge of the watermelon in a /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ shape. Then fill it with the fruit salad.
If the fruit salad isn't sweet enough, you can squeeze an orange over it, or add a little simple syrup (water and sugar, or a liqueur and sugar), but I don't find that necessary. Particularly if your pineapple is nice and sweet and juicy!
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that should be enough, depending on how many you're serving.
Mango is ripe if it's slightly soft (and usually it will not be completely green). It's sort of hard to describe, really.
The pineapple shouldn't be too green...if it's too green it won't be juicy. Other than that, you don't want it to be too squishy when you push on it, but it should have a little give. Mostly with pineapples, you have to cut into it to be sure.
If I were making it, I'd layer the fruit in this order: Pineapple, canteloupe, mango, strawberries (in a ring around the edge), grapes (in a circle inside the strawberry ring). I don't mix it up until I'm about to serve it, because I like it to be all pretty and stuff.
You can also sprinkle walnuts or craisins or dried apples over the top for a little different texture.
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