Summer berries, cherries, and peaches--with so much fresh fruit available, each month offers the chance to create something deliciously different.
Strawberry Season
With warm weather comes the ripening of aromatic, bright red strawberries.
- On hot summer days, homemade strawberry ice cream is both refreshing and fun.
- Marinated strawberries in balsamic vinegar create a surprisingly delicious and sophisticated dessert.
- Strawberry shortcake, which originated from the Native Americans who baked crushed strawberries into a cornmeal cake, is a favorite dessert to round out a light summer meal.
- Simplest yet, strawberries are famously delicious with fresh cream.
A Bowl of Cherries
By July, cherries and blueberries are ready to be picked. The time is right for cobblers, crisps, and the classic French clafouti, which combines cherries and cream. Tart cherries such as Montmorency are excellent for baking, but can be challenging to find fresh as they do not ship well. Sweet cherries, such as Bing and Rainier, are grown in the Northwest and Michigan and are plentiful this time of year.
Fresh blueberry pie is another welcome dessert at the end of a summer meal. Wild blueberries are smaller and more flavorful than the plumper ones grown on local farms.
Just Peachy
Summer peaches are juicy and aromatic. When baked, they soften into sweet syrup that is too good to miss. Peach cobblers and crisps are homey and delicious, and faster to prepare than pies. And if it's too hot in the kitchen, keep that ice cream maker on hand for frosty scoops of fruit ice cream or sorbet.
Dog Days of Summer Desserts
Raspberries, plums, and blackberries are also peaking in late summer.
