Mixed Fruit with Strawberry Sauce

Remove hulls from strawberries. In medium bowl, with potato masher, mash strawberries and sugar; stir in anise liqueur if using. Place strawberry sauce in serving bowl; cover and refrigerate.

Cut rind from cantaloupe; discard seeds. Cut cantaloupe into 1-inch chunks. Cut each grape in half if large. Cut plums into thin slices. Remove rind and core from pineapple; cut pineapple into 1-inch chunks. Peel peaches (do not peel nectarines); cut into thin wedges.

Assemble fruit: In 3-quart straight-sided glass dish, begin with cantaloupe chunks, then grapes, plums, pineapple, and all but 1/2 cup blueberries. Arrange peaches in decorative pattern over blueberries; pile remaining blueberries in center. Cover and refrigerate if not serving right away. Serve fruit with strawberry sauce to spoon over.