August 27, 2025

Think of summer stone fruit and your first thought will be peaches. Why stop there?

Peaches are the celebrities of the summer fruit parade. Nectarines get less attention likely because they are ephemeral, don’t store well (ever see canned or frozen nectarines?) and rarely make it onto restaurant menus.

I am here to change that perception. Whether savory in salads or tucked into a sweet almond cake, nectarines are the darling of my home kitchen. The intoxicating aroma of nectarines ripening on the counter impels me to eat them plain out of hand. But a little daydreaming leads to deserts like this cheesecake tart, with a base of tender cake topped with sliced fruit.

Slice ripe nectarines thinly for topping the cake in a flower petal pattern which looks much harder than it is to execute. For a little extra gloss, brush melted honey just before serving. You can make the cake base up to several days ahead.

Before this juicy and fragrant fruit ends its late summer run, grab some (from a roadside stand if they grow in your region) and place them on your house menu.

Nectarine Cheesecake Tart

recipe by Michele Humlan, The Good Eats Company

makes 8-10 servings

ingredients 

1 cup walnuts
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 ½ tablespoons soft unsalted butter
pinch fine sea salt
two 8 ounce bricks cream cheese softened at room temperature
½ cup cane sugar
2 eggs at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¼ cup heavy cream
3-6 nectarines ( depends on size)
optional glaze : 2 tablespoons honey

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place walnuts and brown sugar in bowl of food processor and process until fine, adding butter at the end.
3. Pat the crust mixture onto the bottom of a greased 10 inch springform pan.
4. Bake crust for 10 minutes or until golden; remove from oven while you make filling.
5. Decrease oven temperature to 300 degrees.
6. With electric mixer beat cream cheese and add sugar, mixing until just combined.
7. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition, then vanilla and heavy cream.
8. Pour this mixture into the pan and bake for 30 minutes or until just set and light brown at edges.
9. When cheesecake base is cool, chill several hours or overnight.
10. Slice nectarines with sharp knife into quarter inch slices.
11. Starting at edge of tart, place slices around the perimeter, then fill in with interior rows.
12. Adjust positions of slices if there is not enough or too much overlap.
13. For optional gloss right before serving, heat the honey in a small glass dish for 15 seconds in the microwave and brush over the top of the tart.