Food

Peaches, Plums, and Apricots

July 9, 2014

Sweet and juicy peaches, apricots, and plums are a sticky, happy snack eaten out of hand, but they truly shine in this array of seasonal dishes, from a refreshing gin-spiked fizz to apricot-studded grape leaves to a traditional peach cobbler.

Apricot-Almond Tart — You can substitute the apricots in this juicy tart for plums, peaches, or even berries.Penny De Los Santos

Hungarian Plum Cake (Szilvás Pite) — Yogurt adds a slight tartness to this cake from home cook Mária Keresztes Kovács. Our recipe calls for plums, but apricots, peaches, or any stone fruit works too.Todd Coleman

Green Bean and Peach Salad — Summer peaches pair remarkably well with sweet caramelized onions and crisp green beans in this salad from Deb Miller of Lawrence, Kansas.James Oseland

Moscato and Peach Gelée — This refreshing gelée gets its light, fruity flavor from ripe peaches and semisweet fizzy moscato wine.Ingalls Photography

Baked Peaches with Crushed Amaretti Cookies (Pesche Ripiene al Forno) — Crushed amaretti cookies lend nutty depth to sweet mashed peaches in this simple dessert.Ingalls Photography

Plum Pie — Grape jelly intensifies the flavor of ripe plums in this sweet-tart summer pie from Drummond Ranch pie contestant Tracy Harris.James Roper

Grilled Pound Cake with Basil-Plum Compote — The best of summer comes together in this satisfying dessert of grilled pound cake topped with a fruity, herbal compote.Helen Rosner

Fruit-steeped brandies like this one, common throughout Transylvania and Hungary, are easy to make at home: Plums and sugar are simply left to ferment for two weeks, and then infused into brandy.Landon Nordeman

Olive Oil Quatre Quarts with Chopped Fruit — This variation on a classic French pound cake, in which ingredient quantities are determined by relative weight, uses olive oil instead of butter for a light, fresh flavor. The recipe was developed by SAVEUR contributor Nancy Harmon Jenkins, who recommends using a Polder Kitchen Scale for accurate measure.Todd Coleman

Peach Melba Pie — Peach and raspberry is a classic combination for pie filling—this particular recipe is a blue ribbon winner from Minnesotan Jean Peno.Penny De Los Santos

Apricot and Almond Sauce — This fruity purée is great swirled into ice cream or spooned atop pancakes or toast.Yossy Arefi

Lightly sweetened apricots are baked quickly in a simple short-bread crust for these rustic tarts, which are garnished with vibrant green pistachios and fleur de sel. Other stone fruits, like plums and peaches, will work just as well.Penny De Los Santos

Amaretti Peach Tart (Crostata di Pesche Cotte e Amaretti) — Soft, very ripe peaches work best in the filling for this summery tart from Piedmont home cook Maddalena Bellorini.Landon Nordeman

Peach Ice Cream — Sweet, pale orange ice cream flavored with ripe, juicy peaches simply screams summer.Laura Sant

These succulent grilled peaches are topped with almond flour streusel and drizzled with acacia honey, a sweet, unexpected treat for dessert or brunch.

Nectarine Murabba with Cardamom, Lemon and Rosewater — Ripe nectarines and a touch of rosewater transform into a fragrant condiment that's equally good topping ice cream as it is accompanying grilled meat or fish.Laura Sant

Apricot Salsa with Mint — Apricots' ripe acidity lend themselves well to this cooked fruit salsa, simultaneously tangy and sweet.Helen Rosner

In his cookbook Salted, Mark Bitterman writes of this peach, cinnamon, and salt recipe: "Your first bite will expand the boundaries of sensation, separating your mouth from the rest of your body, and you'll be feeling spiciness in the warmth of your hands and smokiness in the tingling of your toes." We agree.Courtesy of Ten Speed Press

A sweet core of dried apricot coated in tangy goat cheese is rolled in a savory mixture of crushed pistachios and fresh herbs.Maxime Iattoni

Plum Tart — The recipe for this quick and easy tart comes from the fifth edition of Joy of Cooking (Bobbs-Merrill, 1963), and features crushed amaretti cookies, walnuts, and brandy-soaked raisins.Todd Coleman

Apricot Cake — This simple sour cream cake is brightened by lemon zest and dotted with ripe apricot halves that cook down to intense tangy sweetness in the oven.Landon Nordeman

Plum-Basil Gin Fizz — Deep and sweet, this cocktail is an ideal vehicle for summer's juicy red plums.Helen Rosner

Layers of coconut sponge cake, raspberries, tapioca, and bourbon-stewed peaches in easily portable mason jars make this trifle perfect for summer picnics. The compote and the cake can be made up to two days ahead; store them in airtight containers in the fridge.Anna Stockwell

Plum Strudel — This satisfying pastry layers plum preserves and walnuts for a gooey, crumbly cake.Todd Coleman

Gladys Potter, Rick Bayless's grandmother, was acclaimed in the family for this dessert.Christopher Hirsheimer

In the Syrian Jewish kitchen, this Middle Eastern basic gets a sweet-and-sour spin.Roger Sherman

A touch of spicy ginger and cinnamon add warmth and depth to sweet summer peaches in this pie.Christopher Hirsheimer

This recipe starts with pasta frolla--soft dough--from Carol Fields's The Italian Baker.Beatriz Da Costa

For this very delicate dessert, use bottled spring water and a light, good-quality sauternes or barsac. The peaches shouldn't marinate too long, so make them in the afternoon for dinner that night.Christopher Hirsheimer

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