Stone Fruit

Ripe peaches can be used in place of the nectarines; choose whatever looks (and smells) best.

Feel free to use cooked bulgur, barley, or couscous instead of quinoa

Part of what gives this cake its light texture is beating the butter and sugar well, so don't rush this step.

Use a pre-made custard as your base and paddle in a sweet-and-boozy cherry and bourbon topping.

Good ginger beers are made with actual ginger and deliver a nose-tingling hit of spice along with bubbles. Look for Fever-Tree, Reed's, or Fentimans brands.

This riff on gazpacho gets unexpected sweetness—and great color— from the addition of cherries and a peach.

Scoring the plums helps the poaching liquid infuse the fruit all the way to the pit.

Beer in dessert? When it's a naturally sweet brew, we say pour away.

Fold cardamom-scented plum compote through a mixture of whipped cream and meringue; then freeze for an airy, creamy, sliceable summer dessert.

Lillet, a fruity, easy-drinking fortified wine, is a staple in Chef Ripert's summer pantry.

The secret to homemade brittle? Work fast—it hardens quickly.

Some leaves deserve to infiltrate the dessert menu, like lemon verbena, infused here in a whipped cream that can be spooned over just about anything.

As summer progresses and apricots go out of season, try these desserts with ripe plums instead.

The combination of creamy ricotta, sweet fruit, rich olive oil, and a little salt is addictive. We'll be serving this for breakfast, brunch, and dessert all summer.

We call this a Persian Kir Royale—and can think of no better way to start a meal. This recipe yields more syrup than you'll need; use the surplus for fruity nonalcoholic spritzers or drizzle it over ice cream.

Serve unsweetened tea with this syrup on the side.

"Paris chef Alain Passard, who is famous for unusual pairings, inspired this dish." —Chris Morocco, associate food editor

Since the fruit is tart and acidic, the taste for sour cherries right off the tree is an acquired one. When tamed with sweeteners, like sugar or honey, this fruit becomes a natural for liqueurs, preserves, and syrups.

A blend of rums, exotic juices, liqueurs, aromatic spices, absinthe, and trepidation. One from the Soulshakers' greatest hits collection, this drink has been honed to a lethal edge over the past eight years at Gaz's Rocking Blues at London's Notting Hill Carnival and the Glastonbury Festival in southwest England.