Lori Longbotham
Blueberry Jam Sandwich Cookies
Blueberry meets its ideal match: lemon. There will be some jam leftover, but we doubt you'll mind.
Cherry-Lime Cobbler with Vanilla Créme Fraîche Biscuits
In this modern take on cobbler, the biscuits are baked separately rather than on top of the filling. You can also serve this shortcake-style by splitting the biscuits and topping them with the filling and a generous dollop of crème fraîche.
Ricotta Pancakes with Brown Sugar-Cherry Sauce
Egg whites give these pancakes their light texture. Ricotta cheese adds rich flavor. And the finishing touch? A delicious cherry sauce, which would also be great on waffles or vanilla ice cream.
Lamb Rib Chops with Quick Cherry Pan Sauce
The combination of cherry juice and fresh cherries gives the sauce its depth.
Mesclun and Cherry Salad with Warm Goat Cheese
Warm goat cheese rounds are a lovely contrast to the cool salad. Halved cherries add a fresh, sweet flavor.
Coeur à la Crème
This classic, heart-shaped dessert is basically a no-bake, crustless cheesecake.
Coeur à la crème molds are perforated, heart-shaped, and available online at fantes.com. You can also rig up makeshift molds by cutting the sides of four 12-ounce paper cups to 3 inches high. With a toothpick, poke 12 holes in the bottom of each. Line with cheesecloth; fill as directed.
Strawberry and Blueberry Summer Pudding
A simple, traditional British dessert that combines fresh berries, buttered bread, and a little sugar — and it couldn't be more delicious. Start the recipe at least 12 hours ahead.
Puffed Pancake with Strawberries
Great for dessert or even for breakfast, this light, baked pancake puffs up like a soufflé. Make sure your guests see it before you cut it into wedges.
Strawberry Granita with Whipped Cream
A dollop of cream gives rich contrast to this pink summer ice.
Chocolate Strawberry Shortcakes
Serving the berries and cream on top is easier than splitting the biscuits, and it's a fun and pretty twist.
Ice Cream Truffles
I use Nabisco Famous Wafers in this recipe. If you don't use all of the ground wafers (you will probably have a bit left over), save them for sprinkling or layering in other ice cream desserts. You might add instant espresso powder to the crumbs, or some chopped toasted nuts, candies, or other cookies. Try pistachio-white chocolate ice cream rolled in ground chocolate wafers and finely chopped pistachios. Or use chocolate, coffee, cherry, raspberry, or hazelnut ice cream instead of the vanilla.
Chicken with Lemon, Cumin, and Mint
This is a dish you might be served in a café in the Middle East. It's simple and flavorful and makes a quick dinner; it's also great for a picnic.
Lemon-Black Pepper Cornmeal Cookies
The black pepper is not necessary, but it does add interest and a pleasant warmth in the mouth. If you'd rather, add 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger with the dry ingredients, instead of the pepper. These are perfect with ice cream and fruit. This recipe uses approximately 4 lemons.