Hi Reader,

Imagine being a peach in late June.

For eleven months, nobody gives a damn about you. Apples get the lunchboxes. Bananas get the smoothies. Oranges get halftime. You? You sit backstage like Norma Desmond, waiting for your close-up.

Then summer hits, and suddenly everyone wants you. Sliced over biscuits. Folded into cobbler. Buried under lattice. Macerated, grilled, jammed, frozen, and—if you’re lucky—tucked into a pie so good people go quiet after the first bite.

Honestly? It must be exhausting to be fruit in summer.

Alan once watched me come home from the market with so many berries, cherries, and stone fruits that the kitchen looked like a Carmen Miranda headdress had exploded. “Do we need all this?” he asked.

Need?

That’s when I gave him the look. The one that says, Don’t make me explain joy to you, sweetheart.

Because summer fruit isn’t merely wanted. It’s summoned. We wait for it the way kids wait for the ice-cream truck, the way divas wait for applause, the way I wait for someone else to empty the dishwasher.

And fruit pie? That’s where all that need goes to become holy. Butter, sugar, heat, patience. A little mess. A little bubbling over. Summer, giving itself up in slices.

Pie Wisdom

• Use fruit that smells like fruit. If your peaches smell like cardboard and betrayal, keep walking.
• Taste before adding sugar. Summer fruit has opinions. Listen.
• Thicken gently. You want juicy, not cemented. This is pie, not road repair.
• Bake until it bubbles. A pale pie is a sad pie. Let the filling sputter like it has something to say.
• Let it cool. I know. Cruel. But unless you want fruit lava in a crust canoe, give it time.

WHAT'S INSIDE...

• ​Fresh Peach Pie​
• ​Sweet Cherry Pie​
• ​Raspberry Crumble Tart​
• ​Rustic Cherry Puff Pastry Tart​
• ​Bluebarb Pie​
• ​Blueberry Yogurt Pie With Granola Crust​
• ​Apricot Galette​
• ​Peach & Crème Fraîche Pie​
• ​Pear Frangipane Tart​

​Fresh Peach Pie​

Peach season is fleeting, but this fresh peach pie is so delicious that you should slip it into your summer any way you can. Fresh peaches, a hint of cinnamon, and a tender vinegar pie crust takes advatage of those gorgeous stone-fruits.

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​Sweet Cherry Pie​

For some people—er, me—apple pie is a favorite. For others, it’s unquestionably cherry that rocks their world. I get asked every weekend at the Pitchfork Pie Stand if I have cherry pie. My response is a quick one: “Who’s going to pit all those cherries?!” But cherry pie is bred deeply in the American DNA, and for that, and its bright and cheery appearance, there is a place for it when offering gifts of healing to others.

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​Raspberry Crumble Tart​

Why choose between a raspberry crumble and a raspberry tart when you can have both? Fresh raspberries get a little boost from the addition of preserves for a little extra sweetness and flavor.

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​Rustic Cherry Puff Pastry Tart​

This rustic cherry tart smothers a puff pastry crust with frangipane, cherries, and almonds. It's a stunning summer dessert with its purplish summer stone fruit.

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​Bluebarb Pie​

As well as fresh blueberries I have added dried blueberries to the mixture, which absorb some of the liquid as the pie bakes, plumping them back up.

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​Blueberry Yogurt Pie With Granola Crust​

This borrows the main components of a yogurt parfait: granola, yogurt, and fruit and transforms them into a delicious dessert. Breakfast for dessert, anyone?

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​Apricot Galette​

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.82 from 11 votes

With an apricot galette, you have the best of summer—a ripe, sweet fruit that speaks for itself, needing very little added sugar and a light, buttery crust that's fuss-free.

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​Peach & Crème Fraîche Pie​

Martha Stewart's peach pie is pretty much summer on a plate. Fresh peaches and luscious crème fraîche are heaped in a pastry crust and baked until juicy, soft, and oh so sweet.

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​Pear Frangipane Tart​

This classic pear and almond tart, known as Tarte Bourdaloue in France, is made with pears, ground almonds, and a sweet pastry dough. Easy yet elegant. A terrific fall dessert.

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