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Summer may be inching closer to the finish line, but right now is when it really starts to show off its beauty. The bounty that the end of summer provides is something to marvel at, especially when it comes to stone fruit. Stone fruit like plums and peaches are called that because of their hard pits. Though they're fruits, they're actually closely related to the rose and almond family. Who knew, right? They are the poster children for summer produce if you ask me.
When it comes to making the most of stone fruit at the end of summer, I like to enjoy a little bit of everything. Peaches are very versatile and I can use them in a wide variety of sweet and savory recipes like peach shortcakes or burrata appetizers. If you prefer your stone fruit to be fuzz-free, go with peaches' cousin, the nectarine, which has a more aromatic flavor. Finally, plums. They're wonderfully sweet and tender, and are also one of my favorite fruits to cook with.
Now, the best way to enjoy these sweet, juicy fruits is by simply sinking your teeth into them. However, if you want a fun and simple way of serving these stone fruits you can whip up a quick appetizer that pairs the fruits' sweetness with salty prosciutto and savory ricotta cheese.
Prosciutto, an Italian, dry-cured ham, is more known for its classic pairing with the cantaloupe, but goes great with stone fruit, too. I chose this meat for this recipe because it's sliced very thinly, which makes it very malleable and easy to wrap around the fruit. To balance the flavors, I added whole milk ricotta for a creamy textural interplay. If you can't find ricotta, cream cheese or goat cheese are excellent substitutes.
You could eat these prosciutto fruit slices as a snack, but I also like to add them to a fruit charcuterie board if I'm having guests over. For an impressive presentation, arrange the slices on the board then add a few extra slices of fruit, fresh herbs, and nuts to fill out the space. The final step is to pair them with your favorite wine and dig in!
SERVINGS
- 1 Harry & David® Plum
- 1 Harry & David® Oregold® Peach
- 1 Harry & David nectarine
- 14 cup whole milk ricotta (divided)
- 12 slices prosciutto
- Fresh basil (for garnish)
- Almonds (for serving)
- Take the plums, peaches, and nectarines and slice each fruit in half. Remove the pit.
- Take each fruit half and slice it in half again leaving four total slices from each fruit.
- Next, dollop about a teaspoon of ricotta into the middle of the sliced stone fruit, where the pit would be.
- Take a slice of prosciutto and wrap it around each slice. Repeat until all the fruit slices have been filled with the ricotta and wrapped with prosciutto.
- Serve alongside more sliced stone fruit, fresh herbs, and nuts.
AUTHOR
Lauren is a self-proclaimed foodie, recipe developer, photography lover, cookbook author, and world traveler. On her blog The Curious Plate, she shares unique recipes, travel experiences, and local recommendations from her home town in Denver, Colorado. Her style is all about "embracing curiosity," and she likes to treat her kitchen as her playground when creating fresh, flavorful, and adventurous recipes.