Upside-down baking is irresistible. Whether it's in the form of a cake or a tarte tatin (a rustic French fruit tart), the common denominator is a gorgeous, gooey caramelized bottom, which, once inverted, becomes the top of the cake or tart. Nestled in the sticky caramelized goodness are hunks of seasonal fruit, which release their juices to mingle with the butter and sugar topping and seep into the pastry while it bakes. When finished, the entire confection is flipped, bottom-side up, revealing its fruit-studded top like jewels in a crown.

The other winning quality of upside-down desserts is that they are generously flexible with the seasons. In the fall, pears and apples are the fruit of choice. In the summer, stone fruit and berries display their wonders. Mix and match to your taste. It's impossible to go wrong. I had fun with this cake, letting the contents of my fruit bowl dictate the topping. While figs and raspberries may sound like an unlikely combination, they are a perfect bridge between summer and autumn fruit, and nicely complement each other, with the tart and juicy berries jazzing up the sticky-sweet and sultry figs.

Full disclosure: I've made this cake with only raspberries, as well as only figs -- and it's all good. Like I said: Upside-down baking is flexible (and delicious).

Raspberry, Fig and Almond Upside-Down Cake

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Yield: makes 8 to 10 servings

1/2 cup plus 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup light brown sugar

8 large figs, halved lengthwise

1/2 cup (about 3 ounces) raspberries

3/4 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup almond flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom with parchment and butter the parchment. Tightly wrap the bottom of the pan with foil.

Melt the 1/2 cup butter and the light brown sugar together in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved, whisking to combine. Pour the mixture into the springform pan and spread it evenly. Arrange the figs, cut-side down, in a circular pattern in the sugar-butter mixture and place the raspberries in the gaps.

Cream the 3/4 cup butter and the sugar in a mixer with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Whisk the sour cream, lemon zest, vanilla and almond extract in the batter. Whisk the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Add to the batter, mixing just to combine.

Pour the batter over the fruit and smooth it with a spatula. Transfer to the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool the cake on a rack for 10 minutes, then release the sides of the pan and invert the cake onto a plate. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature with whipped cream.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Caption 01: Photo by Lynda Balslev for TasteFood.

When summer yields more vegetables than you can shake a stick at, it's time to quick pickle. Quick pickling is one of the easiest ways to preserve a bounty of vegetables and a simple method to keep your veggies on hand for munching. The method differs from canning, in that the veggies simply brine in jars in the refrigerator for a day or up to a month before eating. This is pickling meant for instant gratification, which is what I am all about when it comes to pickles.

My family and I adore pickles, and if there are any in our house, there is no chance they will last more than a week before they're gobbled up. Quick pickling is the perfect way to give us our fix.

Luckily, when it comes to pickles, we are not dependent on the season and the need to preserve healthy produce into the winter. The entire year is a bounty. Summer's garden harvest gives way to autumn and winter vegetables, such as peppers, squash, cruciferous and root vegetables, providing a continual rotation of fresh veggies changing up in time before you tire of the season's current yield.

For the pickle brine, I use an equal part vinegar to water and prefer it not too sweet. I often use apple cider vinegar, which is mellow, slightly fruity, and seems to get along with every vegetable. White vinegar, rice vinegar, even balsamic vinegar (think strawberries -- yes you can pickle fruit, too!) are also worth experimenting with. Add herbs and aromatics to your taste, such as garlic, thyme, dill, oregano, rosemary, ginger and bay leaves.

For seasonings, use peppercorns, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, even allspice, and be sure to toast the seeds first to enhance their flavor. For a kick of heat, add jalapeno peppers to the vegetables or chili flakes to the brine. The sky is pretty much the limit, and with the speed and flexibility of quick pickling, you can tweak to your taste.

Quick Summer Pickles

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 24 hours

Yield: makes 2 quarts

Note: Don't be afraid to mix up your pickles with a variety of veggies in each jar. Not only are they diverse to eat, they also look very pretty when they fill the jar. Great candidates for pickling are cauliflower florets, peeled carrots, green beans, Kirby cucumbers, zucchini, okra ... the list goes on.

For this recipe, you will need 2 (1-quart) mason jars or 4 (1-pint) jars. Run the jars through the dishwasher or wash by hand with hot soapy water and dry thoroughly before use.

Veggies:

2 pounds (any) vegetables, washed and dried, cut into spears, wedges, thick slices or bite-size pieces

Brine:

2 teaspoons black peppercorns

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

2 cups water

2 cups apple cider vinegar, or other vinegar to your taste

1/4 cup kosher salt

1/4 cup sugar

4 garlic cloves, smashed but intact

2 bay leaves

Tightly pack the vegetables into the jars.

Toast the peppercorns, coriander seeds, mustard seeds and fennel seeds in a large saucepan over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the remaining brine ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Remove from the heat and pour the brine over the vegetables.

Cover the jars and cool to room temperature. Transfer the jars to the refrigerator and chill for at least 24 hours (or store for up to 1 month) before using. The flavors will develop with time.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Caption 01: Photo by Lynda Balslev for TasteFood.

When my family and I lived in Denmark, a favorite outing was to our local harbor, where the fish market sold fish cakes, or "fiskefrikadeller," created from the daily catches hauled in on the fishing boats. When the fish were filleted, all the extra pieces were reserved for fist-sized fish patties sold by the bagful with containers of remoulade, or tartar sauce, meant to be devoured family-style at the picnic tables perched over the sea.

Every harbor with a fish market sold fish cakes, and the recipes were similar, made with white fish, such as plaice or cod, simply spiced and bound together with flour and egg, then pan or, more often, deep fried. Their flavor was mild, thanks to the white fish and simple seasonings, and they were very easy to eat, best washed down with a cold Danish beer (or juice for the kids) in the summer sun.

While nothing could beat fresh fiskefrikadeller at the seashore during the summer, at home I would make my own fish cakes with the goal to create a more healthy and tasty family dinner. I wanted something lighter and brighter, with more fish flavor and less filler.

After many renditions, I arrived at this recipe, which I now use as a template. While I vary the fish at times, depending on what's fresh and available, the amounts remain constant, as does the inclusion of some, if not all, salmon to the mix. I find that salmon's thick, buttery flesh yields a rich and sturdy fish cake. For deeper flavor, I'll often add cold smoked salmon, which adds a salty, smoky (and addictive) edge to the cakes. Fresh herbs, lemon and chopped chiles balance out the richness of the fish, while the binder is kept to a minimum -- just a dollop of Greek yogurt and panko breadcrumbs, which do double-duty as a crisp coating for the patties. The results are fresh, vibrant, and flavorful.

Calling these "fish cakes" really doesn't do the crispy, succulent patties justice. The "fish" part is right, but "cake" infers flour, fat and eggs with a breadlike crumb. These Salmon Fish Cakes have none of that, proving that you that can, indeed, take the cake out of the fish cake.

Salmon Fish Cakes With Lemon-Chile Yogurt Sauce

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Chilling Time: 1 hour (up to 4 hours)

Total Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes (The fish cakes may be formed up to 4 hours in advance and refrigerated until pan frying.)

Yield: makes about 16 (2-inch) cakes (If desired, more salmon may be substituted for the halibut for a 100 percent salmon fish cake.)

Fish cakes:

1 pound salmon fillet, skin and pin bones removed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

8 ounces thick white fish fillet, such as halibut or cod, skin and pin bones removed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

6 ounces cold smoked salmon fillet, skin and pin bones removed, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup panko bread crumbs, plus 1 1/2 cups for rolling

1 small red jalapeno or Fresno chile pepper, stemmed and seeded, minced

1/4 cup coarsely grated yellow onion, with juices

1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley and/or cilantro leaves, plus extra for garnish

2 tablespoons whole milk Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Sauce:

1 cup whole milk Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon Sriracha

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Canola or grapeseed oil for pan frying

Lemon wedges

Combine the salmon, white fish and smoked salmon in the bowl of a food processor and pulse 3 to 4 times to finely chop without over-processing -- the consistency should be slightly chunky and not mushy. Transfer the fish to a large bowl. Add 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, chile pepper, onion, parsley, yogurt, lemon juice, hot sauce, salt and pepper and stir to combine.

Pour the remaining 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs into a shallow bowl. Using a soup spoon, scoop out a generous amount of the salmon mixture. With a light hand, carefully form the mixture into a plump 2-inch patty. Gently roll the patty in the breadcrumbs to evenly coat and place on platter, lightly pressing the patty to slightly flatten into about a 1/2-inch-thick cake. Repeat with the remaining fish, adding more breadcrumbs to the bowl as needed. Loosely cover the platter with plastic and refrigerate the fish cakes for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.

Whisk sauce ingredients in a small bowl and refrigerate until use.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high until shimmering. In batches, carefully add the fish cakes to the pan without overcrowding. Fry the cakes until golden brown and cooked through, turning once with a spatula, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the cakes to a plate lined with a paper towel and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining fish cakes. Transfer the cakes to a warm serving platter and garnish with the parsley or cilantro. Serve with lemon wedges and the yogurt sauce.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Caption 01: Photo by Lynda Balslev for TasteFood.