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Most people look forward to summer for its long days, warm nights, and generally lazy pace, but if you like to spend any time in the kitchen, then you’re also likely to anticipate this season for another detail: stone fruit. Peaches, apricots, plums, nectarines, cherries, and mangoes are among the most popular instances of this category, and their colors and flavors are at their peak as the weather heats up.

As satisfying as it is to simply bite into stone fruits, it can be equally gratifying to see how they showcase their versatility in layered recipes, and these 10 options prove it. From turning into jams for dessert to flavoring salsas for dinner or acting as toppings for breakfast, stone fruits can easily become a cornerstone of your summertime cooking. Read on to see how to make these 10 stone fruit recipes and you’ll be counting down the days until June 21 with even more excitement than usual.  

Nectarine and Fried Mozzarella Caprese Salad

Courtesy of Half Baked Harvest

This unexpected salad recipe from Tieghan Gerard at Half Baked Harvest uses nectarines in a salad that features heirloom tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, basil, figs, and prosciutto to build on a palate that uniquely features summer flavors. The nectarines bring a needed sweetness to the rich fried mozzarella in the bowl too.  

Steak Kabob Skewers With Peach Salsa

Courtesy of The Butter Half

Abbey Rodriguez at The Butter Half uses peaches as part of a colorful salsa for these steak skewers, which bring even more juiciness to every bite. The salsa is made with chopped peaches, bell peppers, tomato, and cilantro, and Rodriguez notes that jalapenos can be added in for more heat too.

Peach Basil Chicken

Courtesy of How Sweet Eats

The complementary flavors of peach and basil are intertwined once again in this recipe from Jessica Merchant at How Sweet Eats, and their presence makes a simple chicken dinner appear refined. White wine, garlic cloves, shallots, and dry sherry are mixed into one pot with these titular ingredients, and when everything is ready, the meal can be served with a variety of sides.

Apricot Cherry Energy Bars

Courtesy of Hello Glow

Lindsey Johnson at Hello Glow uses two types of stone fruit, dried apricots and cherries, in this recipe for on-the-go energy bars. They’re combined with cashews, pitted dates, shredded coconuts, and chia seeds in a food processor, and then chilled until firm enough to be cut into squares.

Thyme, Honey, Peach, and Goat Cheese Crostini

Courtesy of Half Baked Harvest

Consider this peach and goat cheese crostini recipe from Half Baked Harvest your soon-to-be favorite entertaining appetizer because of its taste and ease. Gerard grills slices of ciabatta bread until they’re golden brown, and then layers on the namesake ingredients. The peaches add color and height to each crostini, making them irresistible when displayed on a platter.

Fish Taco Salad Bowls

Courtesy of How Sweet Eats

When it gets to be too hot to turn on an oven, whip out this stone fruit recipe from Jessica Merchant at How Sweet Eats for fish taco bowls. Besides wild-caught cod, cabbage, tomatoes, and red onion, Merchant incorporates a mango pico topping—which includes jalapenos and lime—for added color, flavor, and texture.

Ricotta and Honey Roasted Plum Bowls

Courtesy of Hello Glow

Another recipe from Hello Glow, which was written by author Kelli Foster in her cookbook Buddha Bowls, features plums as its star ingredient. This particular stone fruit is first brushed with olive oil and honey and then roasted until tender. Later, the plums are combined with crispy buckwheat, creamy ricotta, and crunchy walnuts into a bowl. It’s a healthy but decadent breakfast.

Bourbon Pecan Cherry Hand Pies

Courtesy of Half Baked Harvest

On the other hand, if you don’t mind a challenge, then Gerard at Half Baked Harvest has this inventive dessert idea instead. She mixes cherries and blueberries together into a bourbon jam before creating a pie crust from scratch. Later, the dough is cut into rectangles, the jam is sealed inside, and the individual pies are baked until golden. These make perfect treats for adults.  

Cherry Lime Vodka Soda Cocktail

Courtesy of How Sweet Eats

The tart taste of cherries has made this stone fruit a classic ingredient for drinks, and in this instance, Jessica Merchant at How Sweet Eats uses it to make a refreshing cocktail. She heats fresh cherries in a saucepan with sugar and water to create a syrup and then mixes it with lime juice, vodka, lime seltzer water, and crushed ice.

Almond Poppyseed Pancakes With Cherry Syrup

Courtesy of The Modern Proper

The team at The Modern Proper also uses cherries to create a warm, sweet syrup for pancakes, which are elevated with the flavors of poppy seeds and almonds. To make the stone fruit topping, frozen cherries are combined with maple syrup, sugar, fresh lemon juice, and almond extract.

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