Stone Fruit

This fragrant dish has a wonderful blend of spices and goes well with steamed basmati rice.

Chef Floyd Cardoz of Tabla in New York City is known for blending Indian spices with local ingredients. Here, plums are cooked with star anise, clove, cinnamon, and ginger for a chutney that's perfect with bread and cheese.

Use the ripest white peaches available.

Chef Scott Boswell of Stella! in New Orleans keeps it simple: Sweet plum wedges are served with greens, goat cheese, and a bright vinaigrette.

From chef Alex Seidel at Fruition Restaurant in Denver, a beautiful tarte Tatin with plums standing in for the apples. This can also be served with vanilla ice cream instead of the orange crème fraîche.

At 26 Brix in Walla Walla, Washington, chef Mike Davis takes plums to the savory side—where they bring a bit of acidity to a spicy sauce for pork.

Guests are always tickled by their own individual desserts, and after a light summer meal, these tartlets are just the thing. A flaky crust cradles plump crescents of fruit accented with almonds and Amaretto.

Dessert dumplings play a cherished role in Hungary. The tender dough, similar to Italian potato gnocchi, forms a pillowy ball around lightly sweetened plums. The finishing touch? A buttery mixture of bread crumbs, chopped walnuts, and cinnamon sugar.

Mango, kiwi, and pineapple are enhanced with a little lime syrup for a tangy, and not incidentally yellow and green, fruit salad.

The charm of this simple dessert is obvious: It takes sweet summer fruits and cooks them down so that everything good about them becomes even better.

Offering a good dose of calcium, zinc, and vitamins A and C, this Middle Eastern-inspired combination makes a healthy handheld breakfast or snack. Topped with honey, nuts, and yogurt as thick as ice cream, it might even pass for dessert.

Top with ice cream, lightly sweetened créme fraîche, or whipped cream.

Top with scoops of vanilla ice cream and a couple of shortbread cookies if you like.

Why you'll make it: Because it's the classic side salad reconsidered, with lush peaches standing in for tomatoes.

Bourbon lends depth to the sauce and extra sweetness to the cream filling, but this dessert is fantastic even without it.

This creamy semifreddo captures the heady flavor of ripe summer peaches. It's also a gorgeous showpiece that's perfect for entertaining, since it can be made well in advance of a dinner party.