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I always considered eating a perfect peach one of the joys of summer. Indeed, as a child I got a bit nervous when I saw my mother getting ready to bake peach pies. Even though they were delicious, I wanted to be sure that more of the peaches remained to be enjoyed in their pristine raw state.

To my palate, the peach blintzes of my childhood in Washington, D.C., were tastier than pies, as the peaches cooked more briefly and kept more of their natural flavor. Later, in cooking school in France, I learned to make crepe fillings from peaches sauteed briefly in butter and sugar. The buttery, sweet flavor acquired by the fruit seemed a fair trade-off for the softening of the fruit’s texture. In Paris I also discovered French peach pies, or tarts, made without baking the fruit; the baked crust was filled with a pudding-like vanilla pastry cream, and then topped with lightly poached peaches. After making several of these, I found out that when I had very ripe, luscious peaches I didn’t have to cook the fruit at all, as long as I planned to eat the pie promptly. This way, I could have my peach pie and eat my peaches fresh, too!

I began to love cooked peaches after tasting a peach dessert at Michel Guerard, the three-star Michelin restaurant in southwest France. It was an exquisite vanilla-syrup-poached white peach set on a bed of red wine granita made with the illustrious Saint Emilion red wine from the Bordeaux region. Even without any butter or cream, this dessert was sensational!

We had to enjoy our peaches and nectarines quickly when I was growing up, as the season was much shorter than it is now (today it can extend through mid-October). Luckily, this year the nectarines and peaches in my garden ripened early. After picking more than 20 pounds of white and yellow nectarines, with my peaches still waiting to ripen, I can see the merit of turning some into pie filling, and others into vanilla-poached peaches and peach sauce.

Peaches are the third most popular fruit grown in the U.S., behind apples and oranges, and they are one of the most widely cultivated fruits throughout the world. They probably originated in China — where, according to Dianne Onstad, author of “Whole Foods Companion,” they are “the symbol of immortality.” There is a story of a mythical garden, she writes, where the Peach Tree of the Gods “bloomed only once every three thousand years, to yield the ripened Fruits of Eternal Life. … Even today the Chinese consider the peach a symbol of longevity … and plates used for birthday celebrations are often decorated with peaches.”

I have not come across Chinese peach recipes, however, unless you count steamed yeast-risen peach buns that are shaped and colored pink to resemble peaches but do not contain the fruit. According to “Chinese Gastronomy” by Hsiang Ju Lin and Tsuifeng Lin, it was the custom to serve pyramids of such pastry peaches for the birthdays of elderly persons because peaches symbolized long life. Cookbook author Nina Simonds, my guide on a gastronomic trip to the Far East, came up with a peach version of a Chinese breakfast rice porridge called congee, adding diced peaches that were cooked in cinnamon ginger syrup.

The Persians have also been cultivating peaches since ancient times. The English word peach is derived from a Latin term meaning Persian apple. But Persians use peaches differently from Europeans and Americans. Najmieh Batmanglij, the author of a Persian cookbook, “New Food of Life,” makes a peach khoresh, or stew, from meat or chicken browned with onions, then simmered with mixed spices, lime juice, sugar, saffron and sautied unripe peaches, and serves the savory stew with saffron-scented basmati rice. Now I know what to do with the peaches and nectarines that I have to pick while still firm, as I compete with the birds and squirrels for the luscious fruit of my trees.

At the store, it’s best to choose locally grown peaches and nectarines (which, by the way, are a variety of peach and not, as some think, a cross between a plum and a peach.) If the fruit has to be shipped far, it is picked less ripe so it won’t be damaged in transit. You can buy peaches and nectarines that are still firm, but they should not have any green parts; check the color at the bottom of each one.

Never leave peaches or nectarines in a plastic bag, or they will spoil rapidly. Let them ripen on the kitchen counter away from direct sunlight. Refrigeration stops the ripening process; if you refrigerate them when unripe, they will be dry and tasteless. To hasten ripening, you can put them in a paper bag, close it loosely and leave it at room temperature. Ripening should take one to three days; if you are in a hurry, you can add a banana or an apple to the bag to speed up the ripening process. Peaches and nectarines are ready to eat when they are aromatic and give to gentle pressure. You can refrigerate the ripe fruit up to one week. Note that ripe nectarines are firmer than ripe peaches, and are easier to handle because they don’t bruise as easily.

Small, flat donut or Saturn peaches are very tasty, sweet white peaches. Watch them, as they ripen rapidly.

Nectarines are a little easier to use in cooking than peaches. They don’t fall apart as readily as peaches do during poaching or sauteing. Before cooking peaches, many cooks remove their fuzzy peel by scalding them in hot water, then peeling them with a paring knife. Because the skin of a nectarine is not fuzzy, most people do not mind eating nectarines unpeeled.

Slice raw peaches and nectarines only a short time before serving them, as they discolor when exposed to air. To prevent discoloration, many cooks recommend sprinkling the peach slices with lemon or lime juice, but

I find that this alters their

flavor.

PERSIAN PEACH PILAF SALAD WITH TOASTED ALMONDS

The ancient Persians loved peaches and introduced them to the Western world. Often, cooks highlight or balance the fruit’s flavor with sugar or with tart seasonings such as lime or sour pomegranate juice. Persians especially like fruit with rice, studding pilaf with fruit and nuts.

These types of dishes are the inspiration for this colorful, fresh-tasting rice salad. I use it as a blueprint for making salads from my garden. Even peaches and nectarines that are not quite ripe taste good in this pilaf. I often flavor the dressing with the juice of Meyer lemons, which are slightly sweet, instead of the limejuice typical of Persian dressings.

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, diced

1 celery rib, diced

1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice

3 cups hot water

Salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon dried mint

1 teaspoon dried dill

1 cup cooked or canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

1 cup cooked or canned corn kernels

1 pound peaches or nectarines

2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice

3 tablespoons chopped chives

1/3 cup whole unpeeled almonds, lightly toasted

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large, deep saute pan or a shallow stew pan. Add onion and saute over medium heat for 8 minutes or until tender and golden. Remove half of onion.

Add remaining oil to onion in pan and heat until sizzling. Add carrot and celery, and saute over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Add rice and saute, stirring, until the grains turn milky white and are coated, about 2 minutes. Add the hot water, 1 teaspoon salt and pinch of pepper. Stir once and cover. Cook over low heat, without stirring, until rice is just tender, about 18 minutes; taste a few grains to check.

With a fork, fluff rice lightly and transfer to a bowl. Lightly fold in reserved onions, mint, dill, chickpeas and corn. Let cool completely.

Dice the peaches; you will need about 3 cups. Gently fold in limejuice, peaches and 2 tablespoons chopped chives. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve at room temperature, garnished with remaining chives and toasted almonds.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

PEACH CREPES WITH HONEY

The goodness of fresh peaches is highlighted in this simple, natural-tasting dessert, for which they are sliced and cooked briefly with butter and honey, then used to fill the crepes. If you want to substitute nectarines, you can skip the step of peeling the fruit.

For best flavor, make your own crepes. But if you want a quick dessert, use packaged ones. Serve the crepes on their own, or accompanied by creme fraiche, sour cream, or vanilla or peach ice cream.

8 crepes (see recipe below)

4 medium peaches (about 1 pound)

3 1/2 tablespoons butter, divided

2 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons sugar

Prepare crepes. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

To peel peaches: Put peaches in a saucepan of boiling water and heat for 30 seconds. Transfer peaches to a bowl of cold water and peel them with aid of a paring knife. Cut them in thin wedges about 1/2 inch wide at widest point, cutting inward toward pits. Reserve 8 slices for garnish.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet, add peaches and mix gently. Add honey and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes or until peaches are barely tender. Remove from heat.

Put 5 or 6 peach slices with a little of their honey, near edge of each crepe. Roll them up and arrange in a buttered shallow baking dish. Dot crepes with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 5 minutes to heat through. Serve on hot plates, garnished with reserved peach slices.

Makes 4 servings.

DESSERT CREPES

If you wish to make the crepes ahead and fill them as you need them, pile them on a plate as they are done. You can keep the crepes, covered tightly, for 3 days in the refrigerator; or you can freeze them.

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup whole wheat flour or additional all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar, or to taste

2 large eggs, or 1 egg and 1 egg white

3/4 to 1 cup milk or soy milk

2 tablespoons melted butter or vegetable oil

2 to 3 teaspoons vegetable oil, for greasing the pan

Sift together both types of flour, salt and 1/2 teaspoon sugar. In a blender combine eggs, 3/4 cup milk and flour mixture. Blend on high speed about 1 minute or until batter is smooth. Strain batter if it is lumpy. Cover and refrigerate about 1 hour or up to 1 day.

Stir batter well. Gradually whisk in melted butter. Batter should have consistency of whipping cream. If it is too thick, gradually whisk in water, about 1 teaspoon at a time.

Heat a crepe pan or skillet with a 6-inch base, preferably nonstick, over medium-high heat. Sprinkle with few drops of water; when pan is hot enough, water should sizzle immediately. Brush pan lightly with oil. Remove pan from heat and quickly add 2 tablespoons batter to one edge, tilting and swirling pan until base is covered with a thin layer of batter. Immediately pour any excess batter back into bowl.

Return pan to medium-high heat. Loosen edges of crepe with a metal spatula, discarding any pieces clinging to sides of pan. Cook until bottom browns lightly. Slide spatula under crepe and turn carefully. Cook until second side browns lightly in spots. Slide crepe onto a plate. Reheat pan a few seconds. Continue making crepes, stirring batter occasionally. If first crepes are too thick, whisk a teaspoon of water into batter. Adjust heat and add more oil to pan if necessary.

Makes enough crepes for 4 servings.

NECTARINE AND

ICE CREAM PIE

Like a classic French fruit tart, this pie is topped with sliced fruit and a shiny jam glaze. But here the resemblance ends. The filling in this pie is peach ice cream instead of the traditional pastry cream, and the base is an easy nut crust rather than pastry. You can keep the pie up to 1 week in the freezer, but top it with the fruit and glaze just before serving.

1 1/4 cups pecan halves

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Small pinch of salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft

1 1/2 pints peach or vanilla ice cream

1 large or 2 small nectarines

3 tablespoons peach or apricot preserves

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon water

Small sprig of fresh mint (optional, for garnish)

To make pecan crust, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a pulsing motion of food processor, process pecans with powdered sugar and salt until finely chopped but small pieces remain; do not grind to a powder. Transfer to a bowl. Using a fork, lightly stir in soft butter until mixture is well blended. Lightly butter an 8-inch pie pan. Press mixture in thin, even layer on base and sides of pan, using a fork. Bake until light brown, about 6 minutes. Cool completely. Freeze for 10 minutes.

Soften ice cream in refrigerator until spreadable. Spoon into pie shell, mounding ice cream slightly towards center and spreading it as smooth as possible. Work quickly so ice cream doesn’t melt. Freeze until firm, about 2 hours. Cover if not serving immediately.

Just before serving, cut nectarine in thin wedges. Arrange them on ice cream radiating out from center in pinwheel design. To make glaze, heat preserves, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon water in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring often, until preserves melt. Strain mixture. Brush over nectarine wedges. Decorate with small sprig of mint in center. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

VANILLA-POACHED PEACHES

Serve these peaches in their syrup as a refreshing dessert on their own, or over plain cake slices, ice cream or frozen yogurt. If you serve them with vanilla bean ice cream and raspberry sauce, you have the classic peach Melba. To make peach sauce, puree the poached peaches with some of their syrup. If using nectarines, skip the step of scalding and peeling the fruit.

6 peaches

1 lemon

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups water

1 vanilla bean

To peel peaches: Put peaches in a saucepan of boiling water and heat for 30 seconds. Transfer peaches to a bowl of cold water and peel them with aid of a paring knife.

Cut peaches in half, discarding pits. Pare a few strips of lemon zest and put in a saucepan. Add the sugar, water, lemon juice and vanilla bean, and heat, stirring often, until boiling. Add peaches; if the liquid doesn’t cover them, poach half the quantity at a time. Poach them over low heat for about 8 minutes; remove and poach the second batch, if necessary. Let the peaches cool in the syrup, so they absorb more flavor. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Makes 6 servings.

Faye Levy is the author of “Fresh from France: Dessert Sensations” and of “Feast from the Mideast.”