Plum

This appealing do-ahead dessert, perfect for a picnic, can be formed ahead and frozen. Just thaw, then bake and cool.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional sitting time.

The German plum harvest is celebrated every year with a festival in Bühl in the southwestern part of the country. In this simple German dessert, cake batter is covered with wedges of fall plums; a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar bakes into a crunchy topping.

Try this with grilled lamb chops, pork, or chicken.

The free-form crust of this large, rectangular tart is easy to create, but be sure to leave enough of a border (1 to 1 1/2 inches) to fold the edges up over the fruit filling. To serve, cut into squares.

Involtini di Manzo Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 45 min

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This tart is a snap to put together, thanks to purchased puff pastry. The square shape is something different for the summer table.

(Southern German and Alsatian Italian Plum Torte) This torte is served traditionally at the high holidays in early fall, when small blue Italian plums are in season. In southern Germany and Alsace the pie was made from zwetsche, a local variety of these plums. My aunt Lisl always used to make a murbeteig crust (a short-crust butter cookie dought) for this tart, and sliced each Italian plum into four crescent shapes. She lined the tart with breadcrumbs and then apricot preserves, which protected the dough during baking, leading to a crispy crust. She went light on the cinnamon, a spice she felt was overused in this country. (I agree with her.) My aunt's results, simple to prepare, were simply delicious.

I've often made this luscious spread with little yellow plums gathered from my friend Ilene's fruit trees. Red or purple plums work equally well. Because fruit butters are slowly cooked down to a thick paste, they require a good deal of stirring to prevent scorching. Active time: 2 hr Start to finish: 3 hr (plus 1 day for flavors to develop)

This recipe makes more honeydew ice than you'll need for the soup, but it's also terrific spooned into our plum limeade. And this dish, like the limeade, is one that you'll want to serve right away so that the soup won't begin to darken.

This versatile tomato sauce gets its name from the addition of chiles—arrabbiata is Italian for angry. It's great on pasta (especially linguine with clams), roasted meats, and fish.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Here is a beautiful and inventive salad that combines hearty beets, sweet-tart plums and tangy goat cheese.

Marinate the cheese for a couple of hours, then assemble the salad just before serving.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less, but requires additional unattended time.