Fruits of August

Summer might be winding down but August is still bursting with fruit. Take advantage of this when you go to your local farmer's markets or just to farms for an afternoon of picking. There are so many amazing dishes you can make with midsummer's bounty. Enjoy them.

Alison Roman is doing just this as she gave us some amazing recipes in yesterday's New York Times Food section. For those who don't want to deal with elaborate dessert recipes - don't sweat, literally. She provides four , simple and unfussy recipes that will  equally. please both the sweet tooth and fruit lover. There is the classic cobbler - the perfect dessert for a barbecue along with a blueberry (and yes you can still get them fresh) corn meal shortbread tart, frozen melon with crushed raspberry and lime and a summer pudding with blackberries and peaches. The cobbler and tart are easy bakes. The cobbler's topping is shortcake, enhanced with flavor from butter and whole cream. The filling is a salted apricot sweetened with honey.Flaky sea salt is scattered on top to counter balance the sweetness. Serve with vanilla ice cream, freshly whipped cream or cream fraiche. The blueberry tart is a cinch with a simple crust that's also put on top like coffee cake crumbs.The blueberry filling is just the berries mixed with apple cider vinegar or lemon juice and light brown sugar.

One recipe sure to be a summer favorite is frozen melon that's first pureed and then laced with lime juice for zing along with two tablespoons of granulated sugar. It's then transferred to a shallow baking dish. .Once frozen it's then scraped out granita style into bowls. It should look like fluffy pink bruschetta . Top each serving with raspberries, and using a spoon or fork , crush them into the ice.. Ms Roman adds sumac and sea salt. Instead of the sumac, try a mix of a basil mint pesto on top. The last recipe, a summer pudding is more of a trifle - or fruity tirami su. The base can either be a brioche loaf (easily found at any grocery store, pan de miel , honey bread or Pullman bread. It's then cooking first the peaches and then the blackberries along with preparing the cream. It's then layering the ingredients in a springform cake pan. First the bread, with no gaps in the base layer, followed by the cooked blackberries and their juices, followed by the peaches and theirs. A layer of whipped cream is spread on top of them and the process is repeated a second time. The pudding is then covered with Saran wrap, place a plate on top of that and  a medium weight can. You could add a sprinkle of peach schnappes or blackberry brandy to the juices for a boozy twist. Add granulated sugar and more berries for decoration.

Take advantage of August's bounties of fresh fruit. They're perfect in easy recipes that can end any barbecue. It's still summer, there's still produce. Go for it while they're still here.