Summer Fruit Desserts

With the warm weather of June comes the ripening of bright red strawberries. Aromatic and heart-shaped, strawberries are famously delicious with cream: a dessert that itself speaks of the good life. But strawberries are more versatile than that:

• 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.

Strawberries aren't the only fruit worth noticing in the early days of summer: bananas are a perennial favorite and also pair nicely with cream.

By July, cherries are falling from trees and blueberries are ready to be picked. Perhaps nothing says the Fourth of July more than a warm cherry pie. 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. Popular sweet cherry recipes include cobblers, crisps and the classic French clafouti, which combines cherries and cream. 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.

August is the time to pick up some fresh peaches and start baking. Summer peaches are juicy and aromatic and 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 and sultry in the kitchen, keep that ice cream maker on hand for frosty scoops of fruit ice cream or sorbet.

Raspberries and blackberries, which may be as close as your backyard bush, are also peaking in late summer.