Fresh basil, which has a special affinity with peaches, is the secret ingredient in this sophisticated compote. The basil garnish gives guests a clue to the subtle flavor in the syrup.
This bright and summery entree salad, which uses a savory apricot puree as both marinade and dressing, makes a refreshing change from the standby Chicken Caesar. The salad also works well with sliced peaches or nectarines.
A slump (sometimes called a grunt) is a cobbler with light, puffy steamed dumplings, rather than browned biscuit dough, on the top. This variation calls for tart “pie” cherries as well as an assortment of sweeter summer fruit (berries and plums) to round out the flavor and brighten the sour-cherry color. Recipe by Nancy Baggett.
Toss quick-cooking shrimp, juicy summertime plums and zesty jalapeños with a simple cilantro-lime marinade for a deluxe meal in minutes. If you like, use peaches or nectarines in place of the plums and red or green bell peppers for the jalapeños.
This grilled pork dish offers a triple hit of the fruit with an apricot preserve glaze for the tenderloin plus a grilled apricot and watercress salad with an apricot-spiked vinaigrette. Serve with grilled whole-grain country bread and a chilled Chardonnay, which will harmonize beautifully with the smoky-sweetness of grilled apricots.
Juicy peaches, succulent apricots, luscious plums, cherries and nectarines, stone fruits allow you to savor the essence of summer out-of-hand. The fruits of summer are nothing but fresh, healthy and delicious. Dare to eat a peach...and a nectarine, and a plum or an apricot; they are low in calories (a peach, for example, has about 60), contain no sodium or cholesterol, and offer a nice helping of vitamins, phytochemicals and antioxidants, which are thought to protect the body from aging, heart disease and some cancers. Toss some in your morning yogurt or breakfast cereal, bake some into a pie or tart, experiment with savory recipes for main dishes or sides, or merely eat them on the go, juice running down your chin, and without a doubt, a smile on your face.