Apricot

The flavors of this salad go well with honey-glazed grilled chicken or pork chops.

Terrific with a scoop of vanilla frozen yogurt.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Tuscan sweets tend to be simple and rustic, like this deliciously buttery, moist cake, similar in texture to marzipan. What to drink: Tuscany's famous Vin Santo, a dessert wine made from raisined grapes.

This fruit leather makes a satisfying energy snack and is delicious in place of chutney on a sandwich (we loved it in a ham and cheese wrap). For an easy hors d'oeuvre, spread 4 tablespoons softened mild goat cheese onto an 8-inch square of leather. Sprinkle the cheese with 1 tablespoon chopped pistachios and tightly roll up leather into a log. Chill the log and slice it into 1/4-inch-thick rounds.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

For a shiny finish, brush the warm tart with melted apricot preserves.

(Tarte Renversée Caramélisée aux Abricots) This terrific dessert is similar to a classic apple-based tarte Tatin.

This pretty tart is great with vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.

This sorbet has summer in every bite. Be sure to use very ripe apricots, and don't neglect the lemon juice. The sorbet is best eaten right after it is made.

The tender nut crust and a vanilla bean syrup make these cheesecake-like tartlets extra special. Top with more nuts, if you like.

We used veal in the following recipe; however, turkey cutlets (slices of raw turkey breast) would also be delicious and have about half the fat grams. When the veal or turkey is pounded, the cutlets may tear. The holes can be sealed with wooden toothpicks, and as soon as the roulades are baked, the holes with close. We suggest cooking the potatoes before the roulades, as they require a higher oven temperature. If desired, the potatoes may then be warmed up in the oven as the roulades finish baking.

The nutty topping is the perfect complement to the sweet-and-tart filling.