This Summer’s Most Gorgeous Stone Fruit

Photo by Elaine Johnson

At least once a summer I make a pilgrimage to Andy’s Orchard in Morgan Hill, CA, south of San Jose. Andy Mariani grows hundreds of varieties of the most stunning, delicious—and in some cases rare—stone fruit you’ll find anywhere.

This year I didn’t make it until early August, the tail end of the season, but fortunately, Andy still had an Instagram-worthy assortment.

After a grand tasting to sample every juicy nuance, it was on to pluot crostata and then the canning pot to capture a sweet taste for winter.

White-fleshed Sierra Blanca and Lady Nancy peaches, and Andy’s favorite (…

Pluots and plums from Andy’s Orchard. Photo by Elaine Johnson

Pluots and plums from Andy’s Orchard.

From top left: Flavor King pluots, Greengage plums,

From top left: Flavor King pluots, Greengage plums, Golden Nectar plums, Padre plums, Inca plums, Golden Egg plums, Delicioso plums.

Spiced Crostata with Pluots. Photo by Aya Brackett. Styling by Robyn Valarik