Plums, peaches, nectarines and apricots all fall into the general category called stone fruits. Each of these juicy, luscious fruits have a pit (or one large seed), you see. They're also called "stones." Hence the name "stone" fruits.

Whatever their category, they're in season now. And it behooves us to take full advantage of their sweet and juicy goodness.

Eating these fruits out of hand is the easiest way to go, but say you get carried away at a pick-your-own place or a farmers' market, or even at the supermarket, when the prices are so good. Well, here are some other ways to enjoy these gorgeous, fragrant, sweet and juicy summertime treats. And not just for dessert.

Grilled stone fruit

You can grill up some nectarines or peaches after you've done the poultry or pork, or even beef. There's hardly any trick to it. The difficulty is in deciding whether to use the fruit as a side dish or as dessert. Of course, that depends on what you use to gild these juicy lilies.

Savory

This treatment is designed to complement your choice of protein and is particularly useful to soothe palates you've heated with a Tex-Mex approach. You might even want to eschew the sour cream and star the grilled stone fruit in a green salad, with red onions and toasted pine nuts. The balsamic vinegar sauce makes an interesting salad dressing, too.

If peaches aren't too fuzzy, there's really no need to peel them. Use a fresh, clean scrunge and gently rub off as much fuzz as you can.

If you really feel you must take the skin off the peaches, here's how: Bring a pot of water to a simmer. Add peaches and simmer about 5 minutes, until skins seem loosened. Don't leave them in too long; you don't want to cook the peaches. Yet.

Use tongs to remove peaches from hot water and run them under cold water until cool enough to handle. Slip skins off, then proceed as suggested below.

Freestone peaches seem to have looser skins than cling peaches.

2/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon chopped, fresh rosemary, plus additional sprigs for garnish

1 (8-ounce) container reduced-fat sour cream

4 each, firm but ripe nectarines and peaches (or use all of one kind), halved, stones removed

Whisk together the balsamic vinegar and the 1/3 cup honey, plus the fresh rosemary. Whisk together remaining 2 tablespoons honey with sour cream. Set aside.

Have barbecue on medium-high heat. Brush grill thoroughly to clean after cooking the meat. Brush stone fruits generously with half of glaze. Grill until heated through, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes. Arrange nectarine and peach halves on a serving platter (or atop mixed greens if making a salad). Drizzle remaining glaze over fruit. Dot each with sour cream. Grind some pepper coarsely over all. Dot some of the sour cream mixture here and there over the fruit. Garnish with rosemary. Makes about 8 servings.

Sweet

If you want to grill some peaches and/or nectarines to use as dessert, that's simple as well.

8 firm but ripe large peaches and/or nectarines, halved, pitted

1/2 to 2/3 cup sugar

About 1 1/3 cups chilled whipping cream (or use spritz-on, from a can)

1 cup caramel sauce, warmed, divided

1 cup fresh raspberries, garnish, optional

Heat barbecue to medium high. If using peaches, peel them. If peaches aren't too fuzzy, don't bother. To prep peaches for grilling, see suggestions in the preceding recipe.

While barbecue is heating, place fruits, cut side up, on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar and let stand until they begin to soften, about 12 minutes.

When grill is ready, place fruits on rack, sugared side down. Grill until tender, and lightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer peaches to individual serving plates or a platter.

Use an electric mixer to beat whipping cream until peaks form. Fold in 1/4 cup of the warmed caramel sauce and beat just until caramel swirls appear in whipped cream. Spoon caramel whipped cream onto grilled fruit. Add some fresh raspberries to each serving, if desired. Pass remaining caramel sauce on the side. Makes about 8 servings.

Stone (fruit) soup

Those long-ago French soldiers who bamboozled a bunch of frugal villagers out of their hoarded food used real stones as a soup base. Here, we use plums. And discard the "stones."

Scandinavians in particular like fruit soup and tend to use it as a first course. If you want to use this potage as dessert instead, add small scoops of a favorite sorbet instead of garnishing with dollops of plain yogurt, as suggested here.

Syrup

2 cups water

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup packed, fresh, crushed tarragon sprigs

In medium pot, bring water and sugar to a simmer, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Transfer to a bowl and stir in tarragon. Cool.

Soup

4 pounds chilled ripe but firm red or black plums, halved, pitted

4 teaspoons fresh lime juice, or to taste

2 cups bite-size pieces ripe honeydew melon

About 1 cup plain yogurt, for serving

Dice enough plums to measure 1 cup. Set aside.

Coarsely chop remaining plums. Combine 1/3 cup of the cooled syrup with 1/3 of the plum mixture and puree. Remove puree to a large bowl. Repeat twice more, to use up all the chopped plums and the syrup. Pour puree into a fine sieve and press to remove solids. Discard solids.

Put pureed plum mixture into a large bowl and stir in the diced plum pieces, plus the lime juice.

To serve, spoon into chilled soup bowls. Garnish with pieces of honeydew melon. Dollop each serving with plain yogurt (or use sorbet if serving as dessert).

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Apricot rice

You can easily find recipes for shortcakes, crisps and the like that help you use up a plethora of stone fruit. But here's a slightly different use: a side dish that features pistachio nuts. The combination is lovely with pork or poultry that's been given a somewhat Middle Eastern treatment.

If you decide to use canned chicken broth (or vegetable broth) for part or all of the cooking water, omit all but 1/2 teaspoon of the salt.

Water, for rinsing rice

1 1/2 cups basmati rice

6 cups water (or use part water and part chicken broth, or all chicken broth), for cooking rice

1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Scant 1 pound firm-ripe apricots (about 5 large), stones removed, cut into half-inch pieces

1/2 cup shelled pistachio nuts (not from pistachios with red shells, please)

1/2 cup dried cranberries (preferably unsweetened)

1/4 cup small raisins (or currants)

Wash rice in 6 changes of cold water in a large pot until water is almost clear. Drain well.

In a 4-quart, ovenproof pot or Dutch oven, bring the 6 cups water and/or broth to a boil. Add salt (see note, above). Stir in rice and cook uncovered for 6 minutes. Rice will still be firm. Drain rice. Dry cooking pot.

In dried cooking pot, over medium, heat vegetable oil until hot but not smoking. Return drained rice to pot. Stir until well coated with oil. Remove from heat. Stir in apricots, pistachios, cranberries and raisins. Cover tightly and bake at 350 degrees, in middle of oven, until rice is tender, about 18 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving. Makes 8 servings.

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