TO ASSEMBLE THE FRUIT PLATE

Prepare the fruit:

• Arrange one or two small bowls for the chocolate dip onto the serving platter. (You'll pour the dip in later.)
• Gently rinse and dry all fruit.
• To prepare the apples, quarter them, remove the core from each quarter by slicing it out diagonally, and then slice each quarter into four or five slices. Granny Smith apples don't brown quickly, so you can do this in advance without worrying about it.
• To prepare the grapes, snip the stems to form little bundles of 5 to 10 grapes.
• To prepare the star fruit, trim off and discard a thin slice from each end, then slice the star fruit crosswise into about 8 star-shaped slices.
• To prepare the dragon fruit, trim off and discard a thin slice from the stem end. Quarter the dragon fruit lengthwise and then cut each quarter crosswise into slices. The pink skin is not edible, but it's so beautiful that I like to leave it on. It's very easy for eaters to peel away from the edible flesh and gives them something to hold onto while eating.
• To prepare the kiwis, peel off the furry skin with a vegetable peeler or paring knife. Slice kiwis crosswise into rounds.
• To prepare the watermelon, cut a baby watermelon in half crosswise and reserve half for another use. Place the half watermelon cut side down and cut it into four quarters. Slice each quarter crosswise into triangular slices.
• To prepare the strawberries, either leave whole if they're smaller or remove leaves and cut into halves or quarters if they're large.
• To prepare cape gooseberries, remove papery hulls and wash well to remove as much of sticky exterior coating as is reasonable. You may not be able to remove it all, and that's okay.

Arrange the fruit:

• A plate like this comes together as you go along. Don't be intimidated if you don't have an exact vision of the final result before you start.
• Start with the larger fruits. Place a fanned stack of watermelon slices on one side of the platter and another one somewhere across the platter. Do the same with the dragon fruit slices. Begin filling in spaces on the platter with bunches of grapes, handfuls of berries, etc.
• Work in layers, filling in gaps where you see them, and aiming for an abundant, almost overflowing look.
• Use star fruit slices and pomegranate seeds as garnishes.
• Stop when you run out of fruit, or when the platter can't hold any more.

TO MAKE THE DARK CHOCOLATE FRUIT DIP

• In a small pot, heat the cream and coffee just until it begins to boil, then remove from heat immediately.
• Off the heat, pour in chocolate, vanilla, and salt, and let sit for 5 minutes without stirring.
• After 5 minutes, stir until completely smooth and shiny.
• Pour into a dipping bowl to serve warm or at room temperature.