Summer Fruit Cobbler

This essence-of-summer cobbler is perfect for making on vacation: It couldn't be easier to make, it can be made with whatever fruit looks good, and it's even an easy recipe to commit to memory. Plus, you can bake it in whatever dish or pan you have, from a 3-quart casserole to a large skillet.

• 4 oz. (8 Tbs.) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
• 4-1/2 oz. (1 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
• Pinch kosher salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 3 cups mixed whole or sliced fresh summer fruit, such as blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, plums, and nectarines
• Vanilla ice cream for serving

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F. Put the butter in 3-quart baking dish or similar, or in a 10- to 12-inch ovenproof skillet and put the dish or pan in the oven to melt the butter while the oven is heating.

Meanwhile, stir or whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until well combined. Add the milk and stir or whisk until combined; a few small lumps are OK.

When the butter is fully melted, take the baking dish out of the oven and pour the batter over the melted butter; do not mix. Scatter the fruit over the batter, favoring the middle of the dish more than the edges; do not mix it in. Bake until the top is a rich golden-brown, 30 to 45 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Individual Nectarine Tarts

For this simple-to-make tart, you can use purchased frozen puff pastry if you don't want to make your own.

• 2 sheets (each about 9-1/2x10 inches) prepared puff pastry (Pepperidge Farm works fine), thawed
• 2 lb. ripe nectarines, pitted and cut into 1/8-inch slices
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 Tbs. unsalted butter, cut into small bits

Cut each pastry sheet in half lengthwise and then crosswise into quarters. Line two baking sheets with parchment and heat the oven to 425°F.

Roll out each pastry rectangle until it's about 7-1/2x5 inches; don't worry about keeping it a perfect rectangle. Arrange the pastry bases on the baking sheets, and fold up the two long edges of each base to make about a 1/2-inch border. Arrange the sliced fruit down the center of each rectangle, sprinkle with sugar, and dot with butter. Bake in the hot oven until the pastry is deep golden brown on the bottom and the fruit looks slightly browned around the edges, 20 to 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Grilled Nectarines with Blackberries & Ice Cream

This dessert is especially good with caramel-flavored ice cream, but vanilla is also delicious.

• 2 pints fresh blackberries
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice; more to taste
• Granulated sugar to taste
• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
• 2 Tbs. honey
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 4 large, ripe nectarines
• Caramel or vanilla ice cream
• Crisp butter cookies and fresh mint sprigs (optional)

In a blender, mix 1 of the pints of blackberries with the water and lemon juice. Purée until smooth. Pass the purée through a fine sieve, pressing down with the back of a ladle. Adjust the flavor with either more lemon juice or a little sugar. Reserve this coulis.

Heat the grill to medium high. In a shallow bowl or lipped plate, stir the melted butter, honey, and cinnamon. Cut each nectarine in half and remove the pit. Slice a bit off of the side opposite the pit so that the fruit will lay flat when serving. Roll each half in the melted butter mixture. Grill, pit side down, until the fruit is softened and the pit side begins to darken and caramelize, about 4 minutes.

Put a nectarine half (pit side up) at the center of each plate. Drizzle some of the coulis around the fruit and sprinkle with the fresh blackberries. Top each nectarine while still warm with a scoop of ice cream. Garnish with a crisp butter cookie and a sprig of fresh mint, if you like. Serve immediately, while the ice cream begins to soften but before it melts.

Mixed Green Salad with Nectarines and Gorgonzola

Sweet summer nectarines and pungent Gorgonzola make this salad an excellent pairing with a simple grilled chicken or steak.

• 2 firm-ripe medium nectarines, pitted and thinly sliced
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 tsp. finely grated orange zest
• 1/2 tsp. granulated sugar
• Kosher salt
• 4 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1-1/2 Tbs. Champagne vinegar
• 1 tsp. honey mustard
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 5 oz. (5 cups) mixed baby greens
• 3 oz. crumbled Gorgonzola

In a medium bowl, toss together the nectarines, thyme, orange zest, sugar, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Add 1 Tbs. of the oil and toss to coat. Let stand for 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, honey mustard, 1/2 tsp. salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Gradually whisk in the remaining 3 Tbs. of oil.

In a large bowl, toss the greens with enough vinaigrette to lightly coat. Add the nectarines and toss to combine. Divide the mixture among the serving plates, sprinkle with the Gorgonzola, and serve.

Summer Fruit Cobbler

This essence-of-summer cobbler is perfect for making on vacation: It couldn't be easier to make, it can be made with whatever fruit looks good, and it's even an easy recipe to commit to memory. Plus, you can bake it in whatever dish or pan you have, from a 3-quart casserole to a large skillet.

• 4 oz. (8 Tbs.) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
• 4-1/2 oz. (1 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
• Pinch kosher salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 3 cups mixed whole or sliced fresh summer fruit, such as blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, plums, and nectarines
• Vanilla ice cream for serving

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F. Put the butter in 3-quart baking dish or similar, or in a 10- to 12-inch ovenproof skillet and put the dish or pan in the oven to melt the butter while the oven is heating.

Meanwhile, stir or whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until well combined. Add the milk and stir or whisk until combined; a few small lumps are OK.

When the butter is fully melted, take the baking dish out of the oven and pour the batter over the melted butter; do not mix. Scatter the fruit over the batter, favoring the middle of the dish more than the edges; do not mix it in. Bake until the top is a rich golden-brown, 30 to 45 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Mixed Green Salad with Nectarines and Gorgonzola

Sweet summer nectarines and pungent Gorgonzola make this salad an excellent pairing with a simple grilled chicken or steak.

• 2 firm-ripe medium nectarines, pitted and thinly sliced
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 tsp. finely grated orange zest
• 1/2 tsp. granulated sugar
• Kosher salt
• 4 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1-1/2 Tbs. Champagne vinegar
• 1 tsp. honey mustard
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 5 oz. (5 cups) mixed baby greens
• 3 oz. crumbled Gorgonzola

In a medium bowl, toss together the nectarines, thyme, orange zest, sugar, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Add 1 Tbs. of the oil and toss to coat. Let stand for 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, honey mustard, 1/2 tsp. salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Gradually whisk in the remaining 3 Tbs. of oil.

In a large bowl, toss the greens with enough vinaigrette to lightly coat. Add the nectarines and toss to combine. Divide the mixture among the serving plates, sprinkle with the Gorgonzola, and serve.

Arugula Salad with Nectarines & Fresh Raspberry Vinaigrette

Substituting peaches for the nectarines also makes a delicious salad. You may have some leftover dressing, but it’s delicious on other tossed green salads.

• 1 small shallot, minced
• 3 Tbs. raspberry vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. grated orange zest
• 1 Tbs. fresh orange juice
• Kosher salt
• 2 ripe nectarines
• 6 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2/3 cup fresh raspberries
• 1/2 lb. baby arugula or 1 lb. arugula (about 4 small bunches), stems trimmed, thoroughly washed, dried, and torn into bite-size pieces (to yield about 8 cups, loosely packed)

Combine the minced shallot with the raspberry vinegar, the orange zest, half the orange juice, and a pinch of salt. Set aside. Halve the nectarines, remove the pits, and then slice the halves into 1/4-inch wedges; toss them with the remaining orange juice and set aside. Gradually whisk the olive oil into the shallot and vinegar mixture and add a few grinds of black pepper. In a small bowl, very lightly mash the raspberries, allowing them to keep some of their original shape and then stir them gently into the vinaigrette. Just before serving, put the arugula in a large bowl and toss with half the dressing to coat the leaves lightly. Toss the nectarines in 1 Tbs. of the vinaigrette. Arrange the arrugula on a platter or individual serving dishes, topping the greens with the nectarine slices. Drizzle with a bit more dressing and serve.

Individual Nectarine Tarts

For this simple-to-make tart, you can use purchased frozen puff pastry if you don't want to make your own.

• 2 sheets (each about 9-1/2x10 inches) prepared puff pastry (Pepperidge Farm works fine), thawed
• 2 lb. ripe nectarines, pitted and cut into 1/8-inch slices
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 Tbs. unsalted butter, cut into small bits

Cut each pastry sheet in half lengthwise and then crosswise into quarters. Line two baking sheets with parchment and heat the oven to 425°F.

Roll out each pastry rectangle until it's about 7-1/2x5 inches; don't worry about keeping it a perfect rectangle. Arrange the pastry bases on the baking sheets, and fold up the two long edges of each base to make about a 1/2-inch border. Arrange the sliced fruit down the center of each rectangle, sprinkle with sugar, and dot with butter. Bake in the hot oven until the pastry is deep golden brown on the bottom and the fruit looks slightly browned around the edges, 20 to 30 minutes. Serve warm.