Apricots rebound after challenging harvest

These easy-to-put-together toasts feature a wonderful combination of flavors – sweet, tart, salty, bitter – plus crunchy and creamy textures. They are perfect for a breezy lunch with salad or soup and a glass of wine, or as a casual party appetizer.

Note: Toast the pecans in a small, dry skillet over medium heat for a few minutes until they are fragrant and lightly browned, shaking the pan as needed to keep them from burning.

Adapted from “Near and Far: Recipes Inspired by Home and Travel,” by Heidi Swanson (Ten Speed Press, $29.99, 336 pages).

Lightly oil each slice of bread and toast or broil until golden and crisp.

A few minutes before serving, toss together the endives with the salt and lemon juice in a bowl. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes, until the endives wilt a bit.

Add the apricots, pecans and cheese; toss to incorporate. To assemble, evenly distribute the endive mixture across the bread, then finish with fresh marjoram and a drizzle of oil.

Adapted from a recipe by Mark Bittman. We’ve made the raisins and nuts optional because not everyone likes them. Try this with any grilled meat.

Combine brown sugar, fruit and water in a skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until just tender, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add orange juice and ginger, curry powder and a pinch of ground cloves. Simmer, reducing mixture to desired thickness.

Partly cool, then stir in raisins and nuts (if using) and serve.

You can find plenty of prepared marinades and barbecue sauces in stores, but why buy them? It's easy to mix up quick marinades and glazes from what you already have in the pantry. This apricot barbecue glaze is a good example. Prep time is about 15 minutes.

Grilled apricots and scallions finish the dish and make it look as great as it tastes. If you can find them, choose so-called red apricots, which actually have a deep orange color. Different varieties are showing up in markets, and they yield a lovely, rosy juice after grilling. If you can't find apricots at all, plums or peaches may be substituted.

Make ahead: The chicken needs to marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours.

For the chicken and marinade: Whisk together the orange juice, jam or preserves, oil and cayenne pepper in a medium bowl. Season with salt and black pepper to taste, then pour into a resealable gallon-size food storage bag. Add the chicken cutlets and seal, pressing out as much air as possible. Massage to coat the chicken evenly. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.

For the glaze and garnishes: Heat the oil in a small nonstick saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion and a pinch of salt. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring, for about 4 minutes, until the onion has softened. Add the tomato paste and cayenne pepper; cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the orange juice, broth and jam or preserves. Season with black pepper to taste. Cook, stirring, until the jam dissolves. Taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed. Reduce the heat to medium-low so the mixture is barely bubbling at the edges; cook for about 8 minutes. Taste again and adjust the seasoning as needed. Remove from the heat.

Prepare the grill for direct heat. If using a gas grill, preheat to medium-high (450 degrees). If using a charcoal grill, light the charcoal; when the coals are ready, distribute them evenly over the cooking area. For a medium-hot fire, you should be able to hold your hand about 6 inches above the coals for 4 or 5 seconds. Use cooking oil spray to grease the grill grate; place the grate on the grill. Have ready a spray water bottle for taming any flames. Transfer the cutlets to the grill, discarding the marinade. Add the apricot halves, cut sides down, and the scallions. Close the lid and cook for 4 minutes or until the chicken has good grill marks. Turn the cutlets over. Turn the apricots and scallions over and move them to the outer edges of the grill grate.

Baste the apricots, scallions and the grilled side of the chicken with the glaze. Close the lid and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the cutlets are cooked through. Turn them over and baste the second side with the glaze. Transfer the apricot halves and scallions to a plate. Close the lid and cook the chicken for 2 minutes to set the glaze. Serve the cutlets warm or at room temperature, with the apricot halves and scallion as garnishes.

This “really useful” savory apricot glaze gives ham, chicken and spare ribs a wonderful golden gloss. It also makes a terrific dip for fresh vegetables, or spring rolls or pot stickers.

From Annabel Langbein’s “The Free Range Cook: Simple Pleasures” (Annabel Langbein Media, out of print, 320 pages).

Remove pits from apricots and place in a large, heavy-based pot with all other ingredients. Bring to a simmer, stirring now and then, cover and cook over medium heat until fruit is very soft and pulpy (about 10 minutes). Transfer to a food processor and whiz until smooth. Adjust seasonings to taste. Store in a jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks

Raleigh food writer Bridgette Lacy shares this recipe in her first cookbook, “Sunday Dinner,” (UNC Press, 136 pages, $19).

Combine the garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, apricots, olives and capers in a large bowl. Pour the marinade into a large plastic lidded container. Add the chicken pieces and marinate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a 9-inch-by-13-inch casserole arrange the chicken in a single layer and pour in the marinade. Sprinkle the chicken with the brown sugar and pour the wine around the sides of the casserole.

Bake for 50-55 minutes, basting periodically with pan juices, until largest chicken pieces register 165 degrees on a meat thermometer. Serve hot or warm with rice.

Preheat the grill to medium-high direct heat or allow the coals to burn down to white ash.

Combine the pepper, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and salt. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture evenly over the pork; set aside.

Combine the all-fruit spread, orange juice, olive oil, honey, ginger, hot pepper sauce and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg; stir to blend well. Measure 3 tablespoons of the juice mixture into a microwave-safe liquid measuring cup; set aside.

Place the apricot halves in a resealable bag. Drizzle the halves with a few tablespoons of the remaining juice mixture. Seal the bag and toss gently to cover the apricots evenly; set aside.

Grill the pork until a meat thermometer registers 155 degrees, turning to brown evenly, about 18 to 21 minutes. During the last 5 to 10 minutes of grilling, brush generously and frequently with some of the remaining juice mixture, covering all sides of the pork evenly.

Just before the pork is done, drain the apricots. Place the apricot halves on the outside edge of the grill, cut sides down. Grill 2 to 4 minutes or until grill marks are evident and the fruit is hot, but not overcooked.

Allow the pork to stand, covered, 5 minutes until a meat thermometer climbs to 160 degrees. Heat the reserved juice mixture in a microwave oven about 30 seconds or until hot. Cut the pork crosswise into slices about 3/4-inch thick. Cut the apricots into wedges. Arrange the apricot wedges over and around the pork. Drizzle with the reserved, heated juice mixture.