One of our very favorite ways to eat apricots back in America was with mascarpone, honey and mint, so as soon as I saw the apricots and cherries start to ripen here on the island, I immediately looked for a way for us to enjoy that beloved seasonal meal once again and that is how this quick and easy, beautiful stone fruit + honey + soft cheese plate was born
While I could have easily made mascarpone at home ( see this tutorial @Food52 ) I decided to use a local Greek soft cheese called ανθότυρο ( an-thO-ti-roh ) instead. Ανθότυρο can be compared to the very best ricotta, it is sweet and lightly salted, it makes for a great pairing with fruit and honey. Speaking of honey…the honey that is produced here on our island is the absolute best honey that we have ever tasted! The island is literally covered in a virgin pine forest, but the forest floor is also full of thyme & heather making for an incredibly rich tasting honey that can actually be compared to manuka honey for its nutritional profile.
You can use whatever stone fruit that you are able to find, but for the very best taste, texture and flavor, always buy your fruit in its season. Plums, peaches, or nectarines would all be absolutely lovely on this plate. The final touches are almonds simply toasted in olive oil with a sprinkling of sea salt and a garnish of fresh torn mint leaves for a bright, herbal touch.
This stone fruit + honey + soft cheese plate with toasted almonds and mint is such a universal meal – we could ( and have ) enjoyed it for breakfast, lunch, dinner and often as a late night snack. Light, refreshing, simple seasonal fare make for some of our very favorite meals and this is one that we will never grow tired of.
Print
STONE FRUIT + HONEY + SOFT CHEESE PLATE
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: serves 2 1x
Ingredients
- 5–7 pieces of stone fruit (apricots, peaches, nectarines, plums, etc. – use less if your fruit is large ) pitted, and sliced
- 2 handfuls of cherries (if in season, otherwise substitute more stone fruit)
- 1/2 cup mascarpone, goat cheese, ricotta, or other soft cheese (we used anthotiro)
- 3 tbsp honey (we used Greek forest honey)
- 1/3 cup almonds (we used blanched almonds, but skin on would be fine as would pistachios, walnuts, or pecans)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- flakey salt
- fresh mint leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a small skillet over medium heat, add 1 tbsp of olive oil and almonds ( or nuts of your choice ) stirring often until lightly toasted, about 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle nuts with flakey salt and pour into a small dish, reserve
- On a large plate or platter, arrange stone fruit slices & cherries around the cheese. Drizzle cheese generously with honey.
- Sprinkle toasted almonds all around the fruit & cheese and finish with a garnish of fresh torn mint leaves.
Notes
* recipe can easily be doubled, etc. if serving more than 2 people
* for a vegan & dairy free option, consider substituting an almond ricotta for the cheese and agave for the honey
- Prep Time: 0 hours
- Cook Time: 0 hours
Unbelievably STUNNING photos bella!!!
thank you very much! :D
this combo of stone fruits and soft cheese and local honey will definitely be a major winner in our household!!
yay! so happy you are excited about it!
your creative Styling and Composition and Post-Processing skills are absolutely PEERLESS!! no wonder your Food Styling and Photography Workshops always sell-out so quickly and people have to get on a waiting list just to be able to attend one.
PLEASE say that you will be hosting one soon in Greece on that beautiful little island that you moved to, and can you make it not just one of your usual 4-day Workshops, but one that is more like a week or more that includes some slow sightseeing also?!?!?!?
THANK you XILIA EUXARISTO in advance if you do one!!!
you are too too kind! Thank you so much, your comments really mean so much to me <3
SORRY, forgot to thank you for this amazing recipe development, my mouth is watering just looking over the instructions for the prep and the ingredients, my ENTIRE family just LOVES your unique fusions of authentic Greek culture and other amazing twists from other beautiful nations and cultures. XILIA EUXARISTO!!!
Oh that makes me so happy! You are so welcome! Xila parakalo!
Such a gorgeous tray of food! I love putting together a good cheese spread!
Thank you so much Jack! Cheese spreads are the best!
Love anthotiro and this pairing sounds divine Bella!
Aw thanks Marilena…it is such a good combo!
This is gorgeously plated!! It is really stunning, I cannot wait to try this recipe!! Your brilliance is mind-blowing!!!
Awwww…thank you SO much Michelle, you are just the sweetest!