Peach

Pat: When it comes to summertime in the South, fresh peaches rule. We put them in ice cream, pie, and cobbler. We pack them in mason jars and cover them with syrup. No getting around it: we have never met a peach-and-sugar dish that we didn’t like. When we were kids, Momma Daisy had several peach trees in her backyard. She’d give my brothers and me a big basket, and we would go out and pick them right off the tree. Next thing you knew, she was making cobbler—man, was that a treat. Needless to say, that was always a fun trip, and now we get to relive it by sharing her recipe with you.

The chutney is macerated in vinegar and sugar, creating a syrupy sauce that also softens the fruit.

Peaches are already tender and ambrosial at this time of year, so imagine how deep their sweetness becomes after a trip to the oven concentrates their lusciousness even further. Streusel topping adds a delightful crispness.

The rich and tender biscuits would also be great with plums or blackberries. Rinse and wipe off any fuzz from peaches before using.

Though we can appreciate the beauty of a panna cotta that's been turned out of its mold, the light-as-air texture of these, just set enough to melt in the mouth, will have you happy to eat them right from the cup. Yogurt gives the almond-infused cream a little tang, and peaches that have been macerated with lemon thyme just long enough to meld and soften seem to exist expressly for this dessert.

A fragrant peach and berry filling is topped with slightly crunchy, gingery biscuits. You'll notice that the biscuits  contain grated hardboiled egg yolk: It adds some body.

Satay is an Indonesian-style kebab served with a spicy peanut sauce. Here, we've amped up the sauce's flavor with some sweet peach nectar.

A ripe peach eaten over the kitchen sink is hard to beat, but this comes mighty close.

To keep the pie crust from getting soggy, brush the bottom with egg white.

Rosé wine with fresh fruit adds the right touch to this spiced-up menu.

Chef Charlie Palmer shared this recipe for one of his signature dishes at his Dry Creek Kitchen restaurant in Sonoma, California, exclusively with Epicurious. Crisp-skinned, juicy duck breasts are accented with gingery fried rice and sweet roasted peaches for a stunning dish that's surprisingly simple to make. Note that the recipe makes more than enough soy-lime emulsion for the fried rice. Leftover emulsion, which will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to three days, can be used in stir-fries and salads or as a sauce for tuna tartare or dumplings.

Why serve plain iced tea when you can punch it up with healthy, natural flavors like ginger, mint, lemon and peach, as in Bonaparte's version here? A good reason to steep and sip: Tea's polyphenols may lower your risk for cancer.

Use the ripest white peaches available.

Top with scoops of vanilla ice cream and a couple of shortbread cookies if you like.