Sweet Summer Fruit Recipes
Farmer’s Markets (like the one every Thursday in Erie from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.) present choice produce options throughout the summer and our motto is carpe diem! Seize the day, and stock up on juicy fruits and delectable produce, home-grown in Colorado for the mile-high minions. We’ve waited all year long to score some of those luscious farmer berries, cherries, apricots and melons to create one-of-a-kind summery fruit desserts. Just look at all these options!
Grill It and Chill It
If you think of cold desserts when you bring home your bags of fruit from the Farmer’s Market, that’s one way to skin a peach. But grilled fruit is a thing of beauty too, and pineapple does REALLY well on the grill. Ellie Krieger’s recipe from the Cooking Channel for Grilled Pineapple with Rum Sauce and vanilla ice cream takes 30 minutes to prep and cook. And that brown sugar sauce with rum and ice cream adds just the right flavor to this grill n’ chill combo.
If you shy away from the piney fruit – it’s not the easiest thing to skin, even harder than kiwi! – watch this YouTube tutorial. Of course, Spoon Fork Heart makes it look as easy as wiping down your cutting board, but she does inspire confidence in dealing with the prickly pineapple.
Chuck Hughes, also on the Cooking Channel, prepares a Berry Pudding we like the looks of. This no-fail dessert using berries (you pick – strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries) combines white sugar and a loaf of bread – no crusts — and sprinkles a little brown sugar on top for garnish. Don’t miss eight more summer desserts from the Cooking Channel, including Strawberries Balsamic, Grapes in Wine Jelly, and Spicy Fruit Kabobs.
Slow Cooker Dessert Delights
What’s better than not cooking in the summer? Using your slow cooker while you do something fun, and come home to Brown Sugar Cheesecake topped with wedged ripe peaches. Oh yeah! Food Network brings you that tasty treat for your slow cooker, as well as Boozy Cherry-Chocolate Pie, a Summer Fruit Crostata with peaches, plums and blueberries and a Cheesecake Galette with plenty of stone fruit to suit your sweet tooth.
Cleo Gonske conjured up this Blueberry Grunt in a slow cooker for Taste of Home, with blueberries and dumplings of flour, sugar, butter and baking powder.
And for 28 more dessert ideas made from summer fruit – like Lemon-Apricot Fruit Pops, a Sonoran Sunset Watermelon Ice, or a Brandied Apricot Tart, click on Taste of Home.
No Bake Desserts
Well these are easy as pie, only without the crust! Woman’s Day gathered 40 of their favorites for days when turning on the oven is just too much heat in the kitchen! From Mango Sorbet Pie (with a pistachio and crushed Oreo® crust) to Frozen S’mores and Creamy Frozen Raspberry Mousse, these recipes fill the bill when you want something cold – whether it’s icy fruit slush or creamy fruit goodness.
From the Brown Eyed Baker comes this Grape “Salad” recipe – with cream cheese, sour cream, red grapes, vanilla extract, pecans and brown sugar. Don’t let the salad label fool you – this is no appetizer or side dish – it’s a meal topper without the fuss and muss.
And from Pretty Providence, a Creamsicle Fluff that satisfies the craving for a certain flavor of creamy, citrusy yumminess. With mandarin oranges, mini-marshmallows and vanilla pudding plus Cool Whip®, you can whip up this dessert in a few minutes, let it chill for 90 and then it’s ready to eat.
Seize the Summer Produce!
Don’t miss the Farmer’s Market in Erie where you can score bags full of prime produce from local Colorado growers. You can walk to the market from the master-planned community of Colliers Hill, but take a wagon or helping hands if you plan to stock up! Our amenities and beautiful model homes make this premiere Northern Colorado community, one of the fastest-growing in the area! Home builders Richmond American Homes, Century Communities, Shea Homes and Meritage Homes offer ranch and two-story designs, priced from the upper $300s to the $600s.
