Plum

Guests are always tickled by their own individual desserts, and after a light summer meal, these tartlets are just the thing. A flaky crust cradles plump crescents of fruit accented with almonds and Amaretto.

Dessert dumplings play a cherished role in Hungary. The tender dough, similar to Italian potato gnocchi, forms a pillowy ball around lightly sweetened plums. The finishing touch? A buttery mixture of bread crumbs, chopped walnuts, and cinnamon sugar.

The charm of this simple dessert is obvious: It takes sweet summer fruits and cooks them down so that everything good about them becomes even better.

In this supereasy, Japanese-inspired dish, salmon is glazed with salty-sweet hoisin sauce and served with a fresh, tangy relish of plums and ginger.

Only one more fruit is added to this vibrant red applesauce, yet its fragrance and tastiness seem to triple. Smooth and elegant, it complements roast meats and makes a wonderful dessert on its own.

The beauty of plums becomes all the more evident when they are displayed in a galette. Accompanied by sweetened Armagnac crème fraîche, this one makes a wonderfully sophisticated dessert.

Buckles are aptly named: Fruit is baked along with a layer of cake batter that rises to the top, buckling as it cooks. Don't skimp on the garnish: Vanilla ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream is great with this.

The trick: Sear in juices.
For her Southwestern Shrimp Soft Tacos, Jacki Pearson, executive sous-chef at Green Valley Spa in St. George, Utah, turns on the high heat to lock in the marinade and the shrimp's natural flavors — with hardly any oil. Use this technique with thin cuts of pork, beef, or poultry, too: Toss a piece of meat into an extra-hot pan and sear both sides (a minute or two) until a golden crust forms and meat cooks through.

More elegant than jam but just as handy, this compote goes with almost everything.

Spear fruit with skewers and dip it into the butterscotch, then dip into the nuts and crème fraîche.

For extra color, use different kinds of plums, such as bright red-fleshed Elephant Hearts, yellow Shiro plums, and pluots. (Avoid using Santa Rosas, which don't retain their shape when cooked.)

This can also be made with white nectarines, or about six large plums or pluots. It's great with ice cream or whipped cream.

Serve this jam with scones and tea, spread over pancakes, alongside grilled pork, or swirled into yogurt.

Simple but elegant, this dessert makes a refreshing finale to dinner on a hot summer evening.

This is an elegant way to make a whole lot of chicken that tastes really good. It's kind of sweet and sour—sweet from the apricot preserves and the plums, and sour from the bit of vinegar. But what makes this dish are the sage leaves. They give a distinctive taste and make it a beautiful, festive platter that you can really be proud of.