Stone Fruit

This tangy relish also goes well with chicken or pork.

Make oatmeal-cookie crumbs by blending cookies in a processor until finely ground.

We love these tarts made with Italian prune plums—small oval plums that turn up at the market from late August until mid-October. These meaty plums have a rich purple-red color and hold their shape well when baked. Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 3 hr

The sauce is reminiscent of that sentimental summertime favorite, the 50/50 Bar.

Ginger and sesame lend an Asian accent.

Ice cream at its easiest: crystallized ginger is mixed into softened vanilla ice cream.

Serve with: Fresh sugar snap peas, grape tomato salad, and dinner rolls.

This is a variation on the classic New Orleans dessert bananas Foster, created by chef Paul Blange at Brennan's Restaurant. To save time, you can use store-bought premium vanilla or butter pecan ice cream instead of homemade. Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 5 hr (includes making ice cream)

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 25 min

To prevent the caramelized peaches from sticking to the parchment paper, unmold these flavorful little cakes while they're still warm. Active time: 50 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

Dried sour cherries and a hint of cinnamon add an original twist to a tried-and-true standby. And you don't even need a mixing bowl: The batter is made in the saucepan with the melted chocolate.

At Eli's restaurant, this delicious entrée is prepared with local seafood. The dish is good served with rice.

You can make the syrup a day ahead; however, add the fruit no more than eight hours in advance, to prevent it from getting soggy.

This pie rivals peach pie for flavor and texture. The double-crust pie is piled high with lush tart nectarines interspersed with raspberries. The flesh of a nectarine is slightly firmer than that of a peach, producing a pie with an excellent texture.