Author: Greg West, Photographer

Nothing says summer like a tart cherry pie served with a generous ball of vanilla ice cream

This easy-to-make Bing cherry sauce is great on pork chops, turkey and chicken cutlets

Cherries are a great snack as is— munched on cold from the refrigerator­­—but they also take over the spotlight in this gorgeous refreshing summer salad

A claflouti is a rustic French pancake of sorts usually filled with fresh fruit, such as peaches, apricots or cherries

Got egg whites? Meringues are the easiest and most exotic dessert to make with leftover egg whites, or if you just want to start from scratch with fresh eggs or powdered egg whites. The best part is that meringues are fast to make, and once they are in the oven, you can almost forget about them.

Making a fruit tart is not difficult at all. For this fruit tart, both the dough and pastry cream can be made ahead. Be artistic in how you arrange the fruit, mixing and matching to achieve vivid color.

This glazed strawberry pie is one of my all-time favorites. Whole strawberries are arranged in apre-baked pie shell and held in place by a delicious strawberry glaze.

Crostini means “little toasts.” Small slices of baguette bread are browned in a little olive oil, grilled or toasted, and topped with artichokes and cheese. This is a delicious make-ahead addition for a buffet.

Braising artichokes (slowly cooking them in a small amount of liquid) leaves them tender and flavorful. Spoon some of the braising liquid over them for serving.

This artichoke and leek tart can use frozen artichoke hearts and ready-made puff pastry.

This Artichoke and Potato Casserole has “company” written all over it. It is a dish inspired by my Sicilian heritage. Sicilians love artichokes and deftly prepare them in unique ways: baked stuffed with breadcrumbs and cheese; slowly stewed with tomatoes and onions; fried so the leaves are as crisp as potato chips; and roasted in hot embers right on the ground!

With a little planning, it's easy to eat well this time of year.

Fall is the time to prepare-and enjoy-heartier recipes with seasonal fruits and vegetables.