The first of the local stone fruit is now in the market, and these peaches and nectarines are surprisingly tasty! After all the winter rain, we are more than ready to dig into summer fruit with all its bounty of flavor.

While perusing our recipe archive, we came up with some favorite recipes that will do just as well with either peaches or nectarines—or a combination of both. And, of course, biting right into a fresh, ripe peach or nectarine is heaven…

Grilled Chicken Thighs with Peaches, Mint & Almonds
We look forward to a summer of recipes like this one from Michael Symon’s cookbook Carnivore. The chicken is good, but the real reason to make it is for the peach salad. It’s such a great match for anything grilled.

Peach and Cucumber Salsa
It’s hard to believe that this sweet, crunchy, and smoky salsa has only six calories per serving. Serve it with grilled fish or chicken!

Peach Hand Pies
Because nothing is better than a pie that travels…

Peach Cobbler
This version is made from fresh peaches baked with a sugared, biscuit topping. Tapioca flour or Instant ClearJel are both good choices for thickening (unlike flour or cornstarch, either one keeps the fruit’s juice clear and its flavor true). The resulting color is spectacular.

Bourbon Peach Smash
This summery, bourbon cocktail is made with fresh peach slices, mint, and a touch of ginger—it’s  great for sipping outdoors.