The Golden Fruits of Summer

One of my earliest memories is of the taste of apricots, warmed by the sun, dead ripe, the flesh almost liquid. They came from the apricot tree in our back yard, and in the summer, the smell of ripe fruit hung in the air, heavy and sweet. During the years after we moved, the memory of those apricots, of their magical flavor and scent, went from intense to faint. The apricots in the market, acid in flavor, bred to be firm and easy to ship, tasted less and less like the apricots in our old yard, until one day we just stopped buying them.

Peaches are another example of the tragic loss of quality in fruits. Of all the summer fruits, peaches are the most popular. Yet market peaches are so often disappointing--with mealy flesh and hardly any sweetness at all--that it is hard to get very excited about them. The increased size and firmness of newer varieties of peaches--traits that make them more conducive to commercial methods of agriculture and shipping--have left out two important characteristics: the peach flavor and lush peach texture. Older varieties have succulent, spicy-sweet flesh, dense and highly perfumed--like the ones that grew in my old back yard.

The good news is that tree-ripened fruits and wonderful old varieties are becoming available once again. With careful shopping and a little extra effort you can find sources for good fruit.

With truly great fruit, it is easy to get inspired in the kitchen. The first thing to do with wonderful peaches is to just eat one out of hand, to remind yourself of what a real peach is all about. A very simple, lovely way to serve peaches is to peel and slice them, then cover them with cold Champagne and sprinkle them with a few fragrant rose petals. When making iced tea, add slices of peaches to the freshly brewed tea. Or try grilling peaches and serve them alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream. And don’t forget those very special Babcock peaches, with their sparkling white flesh.

Apricots are among the finest of the summer fruits. Old varieties such as Royal Blenheim or Derby Royal, are very special--sweet, a little tart, rich-tasting, with dense, moist flesh and deep-orange coloring. Apricots are wonderful in desserts. They can be baked in cream scented with vanilla bean, or served as a sauce with home-made tapioca; they can be stuffed with pine nuts, or baked in rice puddings.

These little crostini make a wonderful afternoon snack for a child, or serve them for breakfast with a frothy cup of cappuccino. If possible, find a source for ricotta made by a small, artisan-style company specializing in fresh Italian cheeses. Fresh ricotta has a soft, fluffy texture that is quite different from the supermarket product, which tends to be unpleasantly granular.

CROSTINI WITH RICOTTA AND FRUIT TOPPING

3 small ripe apricots, pitted

1/2 cup ricotta

4 rounds high-quality French or Italian bread, each piece about 2 inches in diameter

Honey

Place apricots in blender and coarsely puree. Combine ricotta and puree in small bowl and stir.

Lightly toast bread on both sides. Spread with ricotta mixture and drizzle with little honey. Makes 2 servings.