Apricot and goat cheese, lamb with peach chutney: Yotam Ottolenghi's stone fruit recipes

Cooking with stone fruit is something particularly special. Eaten raw, they can sometimes be disappointing; catching an apricot or peach at its best is a moment to treasure, as it's actually quite rare. Cooking with them then - teasing their sweetness on the grill, for example, or cooking them in a pan with sugar and spices - is a guaranteed way to find the wonderful. As for the cherries, well, it's like a luxury to eat them after the pitting!

Dip of grilled apricots, honey and goat cheese (pictured above)

Sweet and sour, fragrant yet bold: a perfect apricot in season can really transform a dish. It will work wonders as a canapé, a light lunch for two on toast, or simply as an appetizer to share.

Preparation 10 minCooking 45 minFor 4 to 6 people, as a starter, with good bread½ tablespoon vegetable oil4 perfectly ripe apricots (160g), pitted and cut into wedges 2 tbsp runny honey 1 lemon, grated zest, to make 1½ tsp, and squeezed, to make 2 tbsp 1 tbsp olive oil 50g fresh or frozen peas, thawed 2 tbsp 2 tbsp coarsely chopped mint leaves 2 tbsp coarsely chopped dill 20 g toasted and crushed walnuts⅛ tsp Aleppo pepper flakes

For the goat cheese dip150g rindless goat cheese (120g)120g ricottaSalt flakes and black pepper

First, marinate the apricots. Put a grill pan on medium-high heat and ventilate the kitchen. Lightly oil the pan, then add the apricots and grill for three minutes on each side, until softened and charred. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the honey, lemon juice and oil to make the marinade. Add the apricots and let cool completely.

To make the dip, crumble the goat cheese in a small food processor along with the lemon zest, ricotta and an eighth of a teaspoon flaked salt. Blitz for 45 seconds, scraping the sides as you go, until fully incorporated. Remove and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Add the peas, blanch them for 15 seconds, then drain them and plunge them into ice water to cool quickly. Once cooled, drain and set aside.

To serve, spoon dip into center of large, shallow bowl or plate. Use the back of a spoon to make a large well in the center. Drain the apricots and reserve the marinade. Put the apricots in a large bowl along with the peas, herbs, nuts, chili, a quarter teaspoon of flaked salt and a good grind of black pepper, toss gently to coat, then pour into the well. Serve with a tablespoon of marinade drizzled on top.

Lamb costume with peach chutney and cumin oil " class=" dcr-10khgmf">