This is an adaptation from a recipe off of one of my favorite blogs, Food 52 – Terrific for an autumn day like today when a storm is rolling in. It’s especially good with homemade applesauce, but this isn’t a requirement. Given most people don’t bake these days, I’m finding people are overjoyed to have fresh, homemade desserts and fancy is not necessary. In fact, recipes that bring up childhood memories seem to be the most appreciated.

When the warm days of late spring arrive, the Farmer’s Markets in California are a veritable cornucopia of early peaches, nectarines, apricots, pluots, apriums, plums, strawberries, rhubarb and cherries! My mind whirls over which to choose and how to use.

My cat feels similarly overwhelmed as he sits in the garden — will it be a gopher, a rat, a mole, a bird?  (Most cats concur that a plump gopher in the mouth is worth two birds in the bush.)

My decision? Begin the season with strawberry rhubarb galettes in honor of my brother who has a May birthday and a love of rhubarb. For fun I also chose some yellow nectarines, brightly acid and juicy.

Served warm, topped with ice-cream after dinner or for breakfast on a crisp fall day, Caramel Apple Bars are a comforting treat any way you slice them. Perfect for an autumn picnic, these are like a bite of fresh apple pie, conveniently packaged as a cookie bar. If you like caramel and apples, you’ll be sure to love these Caramel Apple Bars.

Courtesy of Lauren Groveman: www.laurengroveman.com

This is my absolute favorite way to make fruit tarts. Baking the formed tart (technically a galette) without a pan and directly on top of a hot pizza stone, creates the crispest, most wonderful pastry crust. Having a pizza peel is helpful to transfer the galette to and from the oven