Blackberry

Wild raspberries, huckleberries, or boysenberries can be used in place of blackberries, if you prefer. Drizzle leftover blackberry puree on top for added flavor.

The rich, tangy crème fraîche and a bit of vinegar cut the sweetness of the berries. You can use vanilla ice cream in place of the crème fraîche.

If you cannot find pluots, a plum-apricot hybrid, you can substitute more plums.

The steeping liquid needs to chill for at least 4 hours, so plan accordingly.

When the leaves start to change color, prepare this earthy dish of seared chicken breasts topped with a sauce made of blackberries, balsamic vinegar, and a hint of brown sugar and lemon zest.

This is John Ash’s recipe for a fun and easy one-dish dessert. Although there is some debate on what makes a “grunt,” the definition seems to be that grunts, which are also called slumps, are simmered rather than baked in the oven. They are usually made with berries and the name supposedly comes from the sound the berries make as they simmer!

Muffin-cup shortcakes made with self-rising flour turn shortcake biscuits into fast stir-up muffins. The muffins retain the biscuit qualities essential for shortcake—a crisp outer crust and a soft pillowy center that can hold up to a drenching of sweet fruit. Min sprinkles the muffin tops with fancy coarse sugar before baking because it looks pastry chef cool and has a nice crunch. Strawberries are traditional and terrific, of course, but not the only fruit to use. We spoon on any fruit that’s affordable, looks great, and is in season. Any berries or mix of berries and peaches are our summer favorites. In the winter we’ve made shortcake with sliced bananas, Smoky Caramel Sauce (page 198), and whipped cream.

During my cooking stage at Pain, Adour et Fantaisie, a two-star restaurant in southwestern France, days off were few and far between for the commis (French for grunt line cooks). Whenever I got the chance, though, I’d round up my fellow workers for a road trip to the Basque country. We always knew when we crossed the border into Spain, because everything looked different—the Spanish hillsides were rugged and less pristine than the green countryside of southwestern France. We were cooks, so food was the first thing on our agenda. After plates of jamón and several bottles of red wine, we headed to the bakeries, where I was charmed by the simple, heartfelt sweets of the Basque bakers. A few years back, I was reminded of those quick forays into Spain by an excellent cook named Brian Edwards. His training in Spain had left him with fond memories he was eager to share. When he described his favorite Basque dessert, pastel vasco, I knew it was my kind of sweet. A simple pound cake made with rum and layered with fruit compote sounded like the perfect addition to our dessert list. My pastry chef at the time, Kimberly Sklar, did some research and perfected her own version of this rustic Spanish sweet. We put it on the menu, but for some reason it didn’t sell. One morning, I toasted a slice of leftover cake in a buttered cast-iron pan and ate it with warm berry compote. Unable to fathom how such deliciousness could be ignored, I put it back on the menu, embellishing the description just a little: “Pastel Vasco, toasted in the wood-burning oven with blackberries and poured cream.” The power of words is amazing. We sold out night after night.

This recipe is a way to show off the best summer fruit you can find. If possible, use an assortment of fruits, such as plums, peaches, figs, and berries, but make sure that all the fruit is up to snuff. Rather than striving for variety and ending up with less-than-ideal examples of each fruit, you’re better off with a simpler salad composed of only the most perfect nectarines or gorgeous peaches all alone. The dressing is made by pounding some of the fruit into a juicy vinaigrette. Figs are my favorite for this purpose. They mellow the vinegar and give the dressing body and chunkiness. If you’ve never had a Marcona almond, you may not forgive me for introducing you to them. Rich and dense, this Spanish almond variety is outrageously addictive. If you can’t find Marcona almonds, use toasted regular almonds or pecans.

According to David Wondrich, the Whiskey Smash comes from the Baroque Age (see opposite page) of the cocktail. Obviously, it served as inspiration for our seasonal Ginger Smash cocktails, but it is in all its features a julep—the only difference being that the Smash has some ornamental fruits for garnish and is always shaken so that the mint is “smashed”—hence the name. From all the smashes in the Baroque Age, it appears that the Brandy Smash was the most popular (same drink, different base spirit—try it out for yourself), but somehow the whiskey version stuck with us. Maybe sampling Dale DeGroff’s rocking peach whiskey smash sealed the deal for us, or maybe it was just that we loved the term “smashed.” In any case, this is a very simple drink to make, and we suggest that you use our homemade Mint Syrup in place of simple syrup for a far more dimensional cocktail experience. This cocktail is one of the very few that contains no juice but nevertheless should be shaken and smashed.

We use the Amelia to transition the Cosmo drinkers into our dangerous world of subtle flavors. We chose vodka as the base spirit to showcase St-Germain without muddying its flavor. The Amelia is named in honor of an older Greek woman who gave Jason food and lodging when he ran out of money while traveling through Greece.

This is easily my favorite party drink. I combine the white wine of my native Alsace with the tropical fruit flavors I first came to love when I cooked in Thailand. It’s a natural pairing and tastes amazing with just about anything. Best of all, it’s meant to be made ahead of time, leaving me free to finish up dinner prep.

Although this is a cream pie, it can also be considered a fruit pie, with all the fruit that gets packed into it. Not only is the flavor combination of blackberries, lemon, and lime explosive, but its refreshing taste is perfect for warm summer nights. As an added bonus, the pie is so light you’ll have plenty to go around (or go back to!). For best results, prepare the Blackberry Glacé at least 6 hours and up to a day prior to assembling the pie in order to let it completely cool and set. Also, place the condensed milk and mixing bowl used to prepare the filling in the refrigerator for 30 minutes prior to use. The assembled pie will need to be refrigerated overnight before serving, so plan accordingly.

This pie was one of my very first entries in the National Pie Championships. It ended up winning the 2008 Championships in the berry category. The most important element when it comes to a successful result with this pie is to use just picked firm berries. I recommend making Blueberry-Blackberry Pie with a crumb topping; however, if you prefer a less sweet fruit pie, go with the Traditional Pastry double-crust option (page 5), which is just as good. This pie shines with a dollop of Whipped Cream (page 193) or vanilla ice cream.

My business partner and husband, Kelly, loves reminiscing about picking plump, juicy wild blackberries as a child with his grandma at their camp in the Adirondacks. Although Kelly loved eating the blackberries almost as quickly as he could pick them, he knew that if he managed to leave enough, his grandma would make his favorite summer treat—Blackberry Pie. Check out local farms or farmers’ markets for access to the sweetest blackberries available in your area. June is usually peak blackberry season in the southern states, while they peak in July up north. You can also try this pie with the Cinnamon Sugar Crumb Topping (page 12).