Evolution

The first of many fresh fruit platters we will enjoy this summer, we collected the makings for this one on our way home from Monterey at farm stands along the way. This is our favorite summer dessert, a selection of the best seasonal fruits simply washed and arranged on a plate - they need no embellishment. At this halcyon time in the year, you can find ripe Bing cherries, strawberries and white peaches all at the same time.

The cherries are firm and richly flavored, paired on their long, lime green stems. The peaches are honey-sweet and beautiful - we even enjoy the gently fuzzy skins. The strawberries anchor the plate with their fragrant, seedy bounty.

As the summer evolves, the peaches and cherries will be replaced by other fruits but in California the strawberries are the stalwarts - they will continue to give us richly scented fruits until the end of October, as each different variety becomes ripe.

But that first plate full of goodness is always special, a small celebration of the start of summer.