The best thing to do with peak summer fruit, of course, is to eat it out of hand. But sometimes, you just want to…honor it more. These desserts dress up the best summer fruit, but without adding a lot of sugar, and without a lot of fuss.
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RecipeStrawberry and Ricotta Bruschetta
Mint is a subtle but refreshing addition to the honey-laced ricotta and tangy strawberries on this sweet bruschetta.
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RecipeGrilled Peaches with Dukkah and Blueberries
Dukkah is an Egyptian blend of nuts, seeds, and spices that is so good you can eat pinches of it straight, as a snack. Daub some ripe peaches with olive oil, put them on a very hot grill, and then sprinkle them with dukkah. The result is a bit like peach pie without the crust: warm and yielding, with just a hint of char.
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RecipeStrawberry-Yogurt Brûlée
Simple yogurt and fresh strawberries become a special treat with the addition of a crunchy, caramelized sugar topping. Enjoy it for breakfast or dessert.
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RecipeWarm Berries and Nectarines with Mascarpone
Fresh summer berries become a warm dessert or breakfast treat after a quick cook in a hot skillet. Mascarpone, an Italian-style cream cheese available in most grocery stores, is a simple creamy topping for the fruit.
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RecipeBalsamic-Macerated Strawberries with Basil
For this recipe, there’s no need for an expensive, artisanal balsamic vinegar—a grocery-store vinegar is perfectly well suited.
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RecipeCantaloupe with Red Wine Syrup
This recipe, excerpted from the cookbook Dessert Express, is a simple way to dress up cantaloupe for a dinner party-worthy dessert. Chilling the bowls in the freezer makes the dessert even more refreshing as you enjoy it on a warm summer night.
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RecipeApricots with Moscato & Thyme Syrup
This delightful salad begins by marinating dried apricots in a sweet Moscato wine. The wine plumps the apricots and then becomes part of a thyme-infused syrup. Moscato can be expensive, but there are delicious, affordable examples, such as Sutter Home Moscato, that work well in this recipe. A pluot is a cross between a plum and apricot.
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RecipeMelons with Ginger Syrup
Melons, mint, and a fresh ginger syrup are delicious complements in this fruit salad. Cutting the melons in large cubes enhances their big, juicy flavor. For this salad, I like to use a combination of four melons, choosing from cantaloupe, honeydew, Santa Claus, Persian, casaba, or seedless watermelon.
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RecipeCherry, Mango, Kiwi & Mint Salad
This is a great brunch salad, but it also works as a refreshing end to a meal.
