These Peach Recipes Are the Essence of Summer

If your peaches are a tad hard, grill them to bring out their juiciness and caramelize their sugars. Then top them with vanilla ice cream and crumbled amaretti or gingersnap cookies and dessert is ready in just 10 minutes.

If you have the opposite problem and peaches you bought are too-soft, it's time to make a quick compote.  Layer it with creamy mascarpone cheese and cookie crumbles for each serving and enjoy summer in a cup.

When you swap out tomatoes for peaches in this spin on the Italian bread salad that is panzanella, you're rewarded with a salty and sweet bite. Marinating the peaches in a quick garlicky oil and vinegar dressing infuses tangy flavor into the ripe fruit. Then, toss them with toasted bread, cucumbers, and handfuls of fresh basil before digging in.

Looking for a dish to bring to picnics, backyard barbecues, and other outdoor events this summer? Try this slab pie. It serves a crowd—12 to be exact—and putting it together is a total time saver. Best of all, it's a surefire way to impress the crowd with your baking skills.

Peaches and tomatoes share the spotlight in this take on the caprese. Arranging the salad on toasted bread makes it easy to share for eating outdoors, and there's no need for a fork and knife. Don't be intimidated if you can't find bresaola; prosciutto or salami are equally delicious substitutes.

Fluffy and crunch with a chewy center, this meringue-based dessert is the perfect balance to pillowy whipped cream and tender poached peaches. It doesn't hut that it's gluten free, either. Keep the leftover peach poaching liquid, as it's perfect for mixing into summer cocktails or a peachy-lemonade.

This dessert features a stone fruit duo, peaches and apricots, plus warm notes from the addition of cardamom in the fluffy drop biscuit topping. Individual portions elevate a humble cobbler into  the perfect ending for an elegant dinner party.

Sometimes the easiest recipes bring the biggest flavor. This potpie features a magical combination of ripe summer peaches, bourbon, and vanilla. The trick to a super flakey crust without a lot of work is store-bought all-butter puff pastry, which always cooks to perfection.

Tart and sweet pickled peaches are the perfect balance to richer dishes, like crispy fried chicken cutlets and mozzarella. Once pickled, the peaches last up to three months, extending peach season into the fall. Try them on any protein or in a salad.

Salad for dessert might sound unconventional, but there is nothing better than finishing a meal with ripe, in-season fruit. White and yellow peaches are combined with watermelon and cantaloupe for a visually striking salad with different colors, shapes, and sizes. It's a true feast for the eyes that's finished with a splash of Lillet Rosé, a refreshing aperitif with herbal notes.

Everything's better on the grill, and we do mean everything—even cocktails. A trip over the flames intensifies the flavor of fresh peaches, and their sweet, slightly smoky aspect pairs brilliantly with bourbon.

With its sunny arrangement of peach slices, this dessert is summer in a pie plate. Peaches pair very well with the creaminess of the custard, for a peaches and cream sort of vibe.

For a tropical peach dessert, pair our favorite stone fruit with guava in these tangy-sweet popsicles. They're the perfect treat on a hot summer day. Use this recipe as a base for your own popsicle creations just by swapping out the fruit juice.

This peach and blueberry topped tart gets a little tang from the luscious cream cheese filling, a play on the iconic peaches and cream combo, and a crisp outer texture from its buttery tart shell.

All the flavors of peach pie are packed in these portable brownie-sized squares. They're perfect for summer outings and potlucks. This smart recipe calls for only one quick pie dough then divides it for both the crust and the crumble.

Fold whipped cream into a luscious lemon-white wine curd to make the fluffy mousse for this trifle. Layer the mousse with cubes of purchased pound cake and roasted peaches, and refrigerate for at least two hours—or up to one day—before serving.

Thai bird chiles lend a little kick to this savory-sweet and quick-to-make peach relish, a perfect condiment for a pork chop with a little char and smoky flavor from the grill. Boost the herbed rice with the addition of whatever leafy green herb you have on hand, try basil, mint, or tarragon: The anise notes in these herbs pair so well with peaches.

No special equipment is required for this super simple three-ingredient peach sorbet. Just freeze fresh, ripe fruit and blend. It's ready to enjoy right away with a frozen yogurt-like consistency, but you could also freeze it until firm and serve it by the scoop.

Blend frozen peaches with vodka, agave, peach nectar, and mint for a refreshing frozen cocktail. It's perfect for sipping on the porch or poolside and easy to make for a crowd.

Pair two delightful summer fruits, peaches and raspberries, and add oats to the topping for added texture and flavor and the result is a cobbler that is a little different and absolutely delicious.

This peach salsa is delicious served over steak or other protein, especially seafood like shrimp and salmon. For an appetizer take, swap out the basil for cilantro and the Thai chilies for a small amount of diced chipotle pepper for a version that pairs so well with tortilla chips.