Cherry slab pie and Italian peaches and cream: Ed Smith’s stone fruit recipes

A sweet-sour cherry and apricot pie, and a creamy Italian cheese that's just made to go with charred peaches

I quite like a fruit pie; I really like a slab" fruit pie (because: the corners); and I love a slab pie filled with naturally sour fruits. Rhubarb and gooseberries are the obvious choice for fans of seasonal British fruit - and, as it happens, 800-900g of either substitute perfectly in today's first recipe without any other changes. However, there's something about an apricot pie that sucks me in, largely because of that fruit's transformation from mellow and sometimes dull when raw to always tart once cooked. The mix of burnt peach, basil, pistachio and burrata, meanwhile, feels like peak summer on a plate; the perfumed fruit and herbs relax so effortlessly into cold, creamy, fresh cheese. Indeed, it is something you'll most likely want to eat if the weather matches, or your mind is in holiday mode.