Sweet and Savory Stone Fruit Recipes

Summer brings a bounty of stone fruits: cherries, nectarines, peaches, plums and apricots

Published Aug 2, 2014 6:00 PM

Food

In this salad red wine vinegar balances the sweetness of ripe fruit, while cilantro and basil add a floral note. Get the recipe for Peach and Plum Salad ». Marcus Nilsson

While we’ll never tire of sweets such as cherry clafoutis and peach pie, this summer we’re also using stone fruits in a variety of savory recipes, from a cherry and herb salad to apricot salsa. Summertime brings a bounty of stone fruits. Stone fruits, or fruits that have outer flesh encasing an inner pit, include cherries, peaches, plums, nectarines, and apricots. We love using all of them in a huge variety of sweet and savory preparation and have rounded up our favorite stone fruit recipes for you to try.

The flavor of cherries ranges from super sweet to puckeringly tart, which makes them extremely versatile. Try them in a savory salad with walnuts and cilantro or a sweet, rustic clafoutis.

Peaches are a dessert staple—we have recipes for pie, ice cream, and more. But they also work well in savory applications like a salad with green beans and caramelized onions. If you get thirsty whip up a batch of bellinis. The cocktail is traditionally made with peach puree and sparkling wine—our versions have apple brandy and aquavit.

Peaches pair well with plums in a salad dressed with red wine vinegar and topped with cilantro. Also try plums in a crumbly strudel or an olive oil pound cake (other stone fruits work wonderfully). Plums and basil are great flavorings for a variation on the classic gin fizz.

Nectarines don’t get as much attention as some other fruits, and that’s a shame. Put them to use in murabba, a sweet-savory Pakistani jam pickle flavored with cardamom and rosewater. Or put them into a salad with blueberries, shiso leaf, and a touch of sesame oil.

Don’t forget apricots. Their acidity makes them good for cooked salsas like ours with orange juice, vinegar, mint, and red onion. For something sweeter, try our apricot-almond tart.

Check out these recipes and more in our collection of great stone fruit recipes.

Peach and Plum Salad

In this salad red wine vinegar balances the sweetness of ripe fruit, while cilantro and basil add a floral note. Get the recipe for Peach and Plum Salad »

Nectarine, Blueberry, and Vanilla Bean Hand Pies

Erin Patinkin and Agatha Kulaga of Ovenly in Brooklyn give us their recipe for nectarine, blueberry, and vanilla bean hand pies, which work equally well for breakfast as they do dessert. Nectarine, Blueberry, and Vanilla Bean Hand Pies »

Grilled Peach with Rosemary, Smoked Country Ham, and Toasted Pistachios

Inspired by the classic combination of prosciutto and melon, chef John Karangis of Union Square Events created this elegant summer appetizer that marries the sweetness of smoky grilled peaches with salt-cured Italian ham. Get the recipe for Grilled Peach with Rosemary, Smoked Country Ham, and Toasted Pistachios »

Rock ‘N’ Rye Peach Jam

Phillippine Fruit Salad

“When I introduce this dish to my friends for the first time, they are confused and a little hesitant to eat it. Once they try it, though, they fall in love.” – Leah Cohen of Pig & Khao. Get the recipe for Phillippine Fruit Salad »

Chocolate Chip Moon Cakes with Almonds and Spiced Fruit

Tomato-Nectarine Chutney

Preserve summery tomatoes and nectarines with this chunky, vinegary chutney from cookbook author Cathy Barrow. It’s the perfect preserve to serve with a sturdy cheese and crisp crackers.

Roast Duck with Plums

A simple roast duck is paired with juicy plums and spices in this recipe from Biergarten Cookbook: Traditional Bavarian Recipes by Julia Skowronek (Dorling Kindersley, March 2015). Get the recipe for Roast Duck with Plums »

Green Bean and Peach Salad

Summer peaches pair remarkably well with sweet caramelized onions and crisp green beans.

Cherry Clafoutis

A decadent custard batter is studded with juicy, ripe cherries in this elegant and satisfying treat.

Baked Peaches with Crushed Amaretti Cookies (Pesche Ripiene al Forno)

Crushed amaretti cookies lend nutty depth to sweet mashed peaches in this simple dessert. Get the recipe for Baked Peaches with Crushed Amaretti Cookies (Pesche Ripiene al Forno) »

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. Get the recipe for Grilled Pound Cake with Basil-Plum Compote »

Cherry & Herb Salad

This sweet-tart cherry, cilantro, and walnut salad is delicious on its own or as a relish for grilled meats or fish.

Peach Ice Cream

Sweet, pale orange ice cream flavored with ripe, juicy peaches simply screams summer.

Plum Pie

Grape jelly intensifies the flavor of ripe plums in a sweet-tart summer pie.

This summery pie can be made any time of year by substituting frozen, thawed raspberries and peaches for fresh fruit.

Apricot-Almond Tart

You can substitute the apricots in this juicy tart for plums, peaches, or even berries.

Olive Oil Quatre Quarts with Chopped Fruit

This rich olive oil pound cake is studded with soft peaches and plums.

Apricot Salsa with Mint

Apricots’ ripe acidity lend themselves well to this cooked fruit salsa, simultaneously tangy and sweet.

Nectarine Murabba with Cardamom, Lemon and Rosewater

Pickled Peaches

These peaches are a pleasure to eat in autumn—but make them only in summer peach season, with fruit that’s fully ripe but not too soft.

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.

Stone Fruit Rosé Sangria

This version of a Spanish sangria is ripe with summer fruit; its light, crisp flavors complement seafood and poultry.

Blueberry, Nectarine and Shiso Salad

Bright shiso leaves and a touch of earthy sesame oil enhance this stone fruit and berry salad. Get the recipe for Blueberry, Nectarine and Shiso Salad »

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.

Moscato and Peach Gelée

This refreshing gelée gets its light, fruity flavor from ripe peaches and semisweet fizzy moscato wine.

Bellini

The traditional Bellini is made with white peach purée and sparkling wine, but the addition of peach brandy intensifies and sweetens the cocktail. Get the recipe for Bellini »

Amaretti Peach Tart (Crostata di Pesche Cotte e Amaretti)

Scandinavian Bellini

Aquavit infused with peaches and anise pairs wonderfully with peach purée for a Swedish twist on a bellini from Manhattan’s Restaurant Aquavit. Get the recipe Scandinavian Bellini »