Juicy Peach Recipes Perfect for Summer

Wow guests at your next barbecue with vegetarian kebabs of juicy peaches and the Indian cheese called paneer, marinated in yogurt and spices. (Though not traditional, tofu subs in beautifully for the paneer.) Chaat masala spice blend adds a tangy, smoky, intriguingly sulfurous flavor, but the dish is great without it too.

Unlike grocery store chutney, which can be quite sweet and one-dimensional, this sauce cooks up tangy, fruity, spicy, and bold. Serve it with samosas, spoon it onto bruschetta or a cheese plate, or smear it in a turkey sandwich.

Recipe: Peach Chutney

These luscious spiced trifles are just about the most indulgent summer dessert.

Recipe: Poached Peach Trifles

A play on the Tom Collins. We muddle (mash) ripe peaches and shake them with peach-flavored vodka.

Recipe: Peach Collins

The creamy but low-fat dressing works as both a marinade for the chicken and for drizzling onto the salad. You’ll need 8 skewers (10 in.) for this recipe.

Recipe: Grilled Chicken and Peach Kebab Salad

This riff on the classic Bellini cocktail turns it into a sleek little dessert.

Recipe: Bellini Sorbet

Shrimp salad gets an Indian makeover, with the peach standing in for mango.

Recipe: Curried Peach and Shrimp Salad

White peaches turn a soft shade of pink when poached.

Peach-peeling secret: Fuzz is a beloved characteristic of the peach, but when cooked, it can become tough. Remove the skin easily by scoring an X into the top and bottom of the fruit with a paring knife. Ease it into a pot of boiling water for 20 seconds, then transfer to a bowl of ice water. Rub skin at the X to loosen; then rub it off.

Recipe: Vanilla and Riesling Poached White Peaches

These crêpes are simple to make and fill, and can be mostly done the day before.

Recipe: Crêpes with Warm Cognac Peaches and Almonds

Very ripe peaches are the flavor secret to this simple ice cream. Patti Devlin uses unpeeled peaches because she likes the flavor the skins add. Our tasters preferred the smoother texture that results from peeling the fruit. It’s your choice.

Fresh white peaches and white wine offer a crisp, lighter alternative to sangria’s traditional red blend.

Recipe: White Peach Sangria

Notes: Prepare Sunset’s Favorite Pie Pastry, or use 1 refrigerated pastry (half of a 15-oz. package) and follow steps 5 and 6 of the Sunset recipe to line pan. Serve pie with sweetened whipped cream flavored with grated orange peel.

Store-bought cooked chicken takes on a whole new dimension in this light and very flavorful dish.

Recipe: Rotisserie Chicken with Peaches, Walnuts, and Basil

Serve this succulent summer martini with freshly shucked oysters and warm olive bread smeared with a soft blue or gorgonzola cheese.

Recipe: Peach Martini with Chiles from the Garden

This super-simple recipe has only five ingredients, making it perfect for last-minute summer entertaining.

Recipe: Grilled Peaches with Vanilla Ice Cream

Jennifer Jasinski, chef and co-owner of Rioja in Denver, makes her salad with fresh Colorado peaches and a Spanish blue cheese, but it’s also good made with many Western blue cheeses.

Recipe: Grilled Peach Salad with Rosemary Dressing