These Summer Fruit Recipes Taste Like Vacation

Grilling watermelon adds a smoky note to the summer fruit and gives it a slightly meaty texture that matches well with shrimp.

Matthew Lewis, chef and owner of the Where Ya At Matt? food truck in Seattle, makes this side dish in the height of summer, when melons are at their best. The cool, sweet juice of the fruit really hits the spot on a hot day.

Chef Kai Loebach likes to serve tuna slices on crisps as a passed appetizer but it could be adapted for a main course.

The sublime combination of sweet summer fruit and salty blue cheese means you can keep the rest of the salad simple. White balsamic vinegar gives the dressing a light flavor.

This sweet and gently spicy spread from Avery Ruzicka of Manresa Bread in Los Gatos, California, is also excellent in a sandwich with sharp cheddar cheese or beef.

Essential to this recipe is the peanut sauce, which is quick to make and gives a sweet and spicy flavor. Light and refreshing, perfect for summer.

Mango and green onions bring out the flavors of fish and serrano chilis in this ceviche, served on crunchy tostada shells.

Think of this as “new and improved” borscht, with summer fruit and mint added for freshness and subtle spices for intrigue.

Bonus: The leftover syrup makes the base for a peach cooler!

Summer peaches and savory spices are delicious in this versatile barbecue sauce. We used it on grilled pork chops, but it would be fantastic on chicken or ribs as well.

Featuring fresh, summertime watermelon, the only other ingredients you need to complete this simple and stunning dessert are sugar, lime rind, watermelon, and lime juice.

This multi-step desert is greater than the sum of its parts. With lemony pound cake, silky pastry cream, and peak season summer fruit (we used berries but you can substitute ripe peaches and plums or any other fruit you love!), this is sure to please a crowd, especially when layered into miniature 8 oz. mason jars!

This recipe comes from Tractor Gibsey Beckett, whose mother made it while living in Australia—where pavlova is considered a national treasure.

Drink your morning smoothie from a bowl! With a variety of toppings, this easy breakfast movement is the healthiest way to turn a smoothie into a morning meal.

Cream cheese and vanilla beans give these treats an extraordinary depth of flavor.

Berries and buttermilk come together for the creamiest sweet treat to use up your summer fruit.

Start the day off right with this delicious french toast that’s filled with mascarpone.

Foods that grow in the same place tend to taste good together, as this pairing of blackberries and hazelnuts proves.

A raspberry fool is the simplest of desserts—just whole or puréed fruit folded into whipped cream.

This buttered and toasted baguette is topped with melty chocolate and garnished with raspberry, mint, and almond for an adorable mini dessert, perfect for parties.

At the farmers market, look for deep red late-summer raspberries, artisanal ricotta cheese, and pistachios.

American ice box cake meets Filipino crema de fruta (a layered cake often made with canned fruit cocktail) in Isa Fabro’s fresh, creamy dessert. “It’s American and Filipino at the same time—like me!” says the chef.

Mango sorbet shines when topped with toasted coconut, banana, and lime for a refreshing summer treat.

Use juicy ripe plums in this trifle dessert for best results. The crumbled shortbread cookies add crunch, while the whipping cream gives the dish a creamy texture.

We couldn’t resist loading up on multiple kinds of seeds—plus nuts and coconut—to create this crunchy, addictive streusel. For the filling, Flavor King pluots, which ripen in late summer, are one of our favorites, rich, floral, and musky.

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

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