Shelter in place has given way to an abundance of bread baking. If you follow social media, you can’t miss the number of proud bread photos and sourdough sagas to admire and read. It makes sense. With all of our stay-at-home time, why not take the opportunity to develop and perfect our baking skills? I propose adding tarte tatins to that list.

Tarte what? Tarte tatin is a French upside-down fruit tart that could easily pass as the poster-child for a universally pleasing, caramelized dessert demanding to be shared. It traditionally features fall fruit, such as apple and pear, but I am here to tell you that those ingredients are not mandatory. In fact, any fruit that can be slow-cooked in butter and sugar without dissolving into a puddle will work. Stone fruits, such as plums, nectarines and apricots, are excellent contenders, which is why tarte tatins should be added to your summer to-do list.

The key to a successful tarte tatin, besides luscious in-season fruit, is the caramel, which is the base in which the fruit is cooked. A pastry crust is then layered over the bubbling, fruity confection, and the tart is finished in the oven. Once baked, the tart is inverted onto a plate, and the caramel becomes the top of the tart -- a shiny sheen encasing the fruit like fossilized amber.

Tarte tatins may appear tricky to make, but each step is straightforward. The biggest mistake you can make is not taking the time to allow the fruit to properly caramelize. It may be tempting to rush this step and hasten to the bake stage, but you will risk a runny topping that lacks in caramel color and flavor.

When making the caramel, remember these tips. As mentioned, heed the time. Be patient and vigilant, and allow the caramel to achieve its ideal color. This should take about 30 minutes, while you keep an eye on the bubbling sugar and butter, turning the pan to ensure even cooking. The ideal color should resemble golden-brown amber or the color of peanut butter. If it’s too light, the flavor will read sweet. If it’s too dark, you risk burning when the caramel continues to darken while the tart bakes. I find that the best pan in which to make the tart is metal. A cast-iron pan may be alluring and oh-so rustic to use, but it will be difficult to read the color of the caramel as it cooks. I prefer to use a stainless steel oven-proof skillet.

The final turn of the baked tart onto the plate is easier than it sounds. Make sure you are properly gloved up. Steady and center the skillet and the plate, and ... just flip it. If any bits remain in the pan, you can simply add them to the top of the tart. Detailed perfection is not necessary. This is a rustic tart. Fruit and caramel are forgiving, whether in pristine or cobbled-together desserts, and they always taste great. The good news is that once you’ve made a few of these tarts, you’ll get the hang of the technique. So go ahead and start practicing your tarte tatin baking skills. Your friends and family will appreciate your new project.

Apricot Tarte Tatin

Active Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes, plus chilling time

Yield: Serves 8

Pastry:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, diced

1/3 cup full-fat sour cream

Filling:

2 tablespoons plus 3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into 4 chunks, room temperature

1 1/2 pounds medium apricots, halved and pitted

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1 egg, lightly beaten

Prepare the pastry:

Pulse the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor once or twice to blend. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is pea-sized. Add the sour cream and pulse until moist clumps form. Gather the dough in a ball and flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight. Let soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.

Before preparing the filling, roll the dough out on parchment paper to a round shape to fit size of skillet. Slide the parchment and pastry onto a baking tray and refrigerate until ready to use.

Prepare the tart:

Whisk the 2 tablespoons sugar, cardamom and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.

Arrange the butter in a 10-inch oven-proof skillet with sloping sides. Evenly sprinkle the 3/4 cup sugar over the skillet. Place over medium heat and cook until the butter melts, the sugar begins to dissolve, and the mixture begins to bubble, 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully arrange the apricots, skin-side down, in a circular pattern in the skillet. Sprinkle the reserved sugar mixture and the lemon zest over the fruit.

Continue to cook the fruit over medium heat until a deep amber-colored syrup forms, 25 to 30 minutes, turning the skillet to ensure even cooking.

While the apricots are cooking, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

When the caramel is the desired color, remove the skillet from the heat. Working quickly, lay the pastry over the apricots and peel away the parchment. (It’s OK if the pastry breaks or tears in places. You can piece it together once the parchment is discarded. Remember, it’s the bottom of the tart -- it needn’t look pristine.) Press the pastry around edges of the skillet. Cut 3 to 4 slits in the pastry and brush with the egg.

Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the pastry is golden brown and firm to the touch, about 25 minutes.

Remove the tarte from the oven. Let it stand for one minute, then run a knife around the edge of the tarte to help it release when inverted. Place a large heat-proof platter over skillet. Using oven mitts, hold the skillet and platter together and invert the tart onto the platter. If any bits stick to the pan, use a knife or spatula to remove and add to the tart. Cool for at least 30 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

While simplicity often reigns when making salads, a little attention to how you put them together can make a difference -- and not just in presentation, but also in flavor. There’s certainly nothing wrong with combining all of your salad fixings in a bowl and giving them a good toss. Some salads demand a good jumble, such as cheesy Caesar salads or simple green salads. However, if you have a special standout ingredient that you don’t want to submerge in a bowl of greens, or if you prefer a lighter hand in dressing the salad without wilting tender leaves, then layering is the way to go.

Dressing:

When layering a salad, you can ensure that it’s evenly dressed. Simply drizzle the base ingredients, such as your greens or crudites, with just enough dressing to lightly kiss the leaves and disperse with a gentle toss. You will add more dressing once the salad is composed. Layer the remaining ingredients on top and coat with a final light drizzle, and your salad is ready to go. And remember to go lightly when dressing your salad. You can always add more (or pass it once served), but you can’t remove it.

Seasoning and flavoring:

When proteins are one of your star ingredients, be sure to season them first -- don’t rely on the dressing alone to be the flavor agent for pieces of chicken, meat, fish or tofu. Layering also allows you to build in flavor with aromatics, such as snippets of fresh herbs, nuts and seeds, and finely grated citrus zest. Add a little to each layer to flavor and perfume the salad and ensure they’re present in every bite.

This salad has summer written all over it. Shrimp, feta and olives are the star ingredients, mingling with sweet corn, juicy tomatoes and plenty of garden greens. It’s beautiful when presented in a large serving bowl or arranged in individual serving bowls.

Shrimp and Feta Salad

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes, plus cooling time

Yield: Serves 4 as a light meal or 6 as a side dish

Shrimp:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 pound large (16/18) shrimp, shelled and deveined, tails intact if desired

Salt

1/2 lemon

Vinaigrette:

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 small garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salad:

6 to 8 ounces mixed greens, such as arugula, red leaf, romaine, torn into bite-size pieces

1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 medium red bell pepper, seeds and membrane removed, thinly sliced

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/3 cup fresh corn kernels

1/4 cup Italian parsley leaves, coarsely chopped, divided

1/4 cup mint leaves, coarsely chopped, divided

12 black olives, such as Kalamata or oil-cured

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Finely grated lemon zest, for garnish

Cook the shrimp:

Heat the oil and red pepper flakes in a skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange the shrimp in one layer without overcrowding the pan. Cook until bright coral-pink on both sides and just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes, turning once. Transfer the shrimp to a plate, lightly season with salt and a squeeze of lemon, and cool to room temperature.

Make the vinaigrette:

Whisk the lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, salt and black pepper in a small bowl. Add the oil in a steady stream, whisking constantly to emulsify.

Assemble the salad:

Combine the greens, tomatoes, red pepper, onion, corn, half of the parsley and half of the mint in a large, wide serving bowl. Drizzle about 1/4 cup vinaigrette over the greens (or enough to lightly coat) and toss. Arrange the shrimp over the greens and scatter the olives and feta over the salad. Drizzle with additional vinaigrette to taste. Garnish with the remaining parsley and mint and the lemon zest.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

When the weather is hot, and it’s too stifling to cook or move, this salty, briny olive concoction will hit the spot. It’s called olivada. Similar to tapenade, minus the anchovies, the star ingredient is, you guessed it, olives -- three kinds of olives, in fact. While using just one type of olive would be acceptable, a combination provides more complexity, yielding a balance of intensity, salt, bitterness and fruit. The simple list of ingredients rounds out with toasted pine nuts, garlic and lemon, winding up with a salty, sharp and addictive condiment that’s surprisingly versatile. Simply spread olivada on baguette slices or crostini, or sprinkle it over salads, pasta and pizzas. It’s also a delicious accompaniment or topping to grilled fish and vegetables.

The three types of olives in this recipe are my tried-and-true combination. If you know your olives, you might want to experiment with mixing different kinds, but I think you’ll like the recipe with the following olives.

Oil-Cured Olives:

Yes, you need these. You’ve likely seen them -- the inky, shriveled, prune-like olives, sometimes dusted with dried herbs and dry-packed. These wizened black olives are dry-cured in salt and then soaked in oil, which concentrates their flavor to a salty, bitter intensity. They add an essential concentrated olive flavor that anchors this recipe.

Castelvetrano Olives:

At the other end of the olive spectrum is the Castelvetrano. If you are on the fence about eating olives, then this is the olive for you. These plump green olives are delightfully fruity, mildly salty and tame in flavor. They smooth out the intensity of the oil-cured olives and punctuate the olivada with speckles of bright green.

Kalamata Olives:

These medium-sized, purple-black, brine-cured olives are everyone’s darling -- pleasantly salty, meaty and fruity at once, yet never overpowering. They are delicious eaten on their own, strewn in salads, or folded into recipes requiring the subtle salty kick of olives. Kalamatas strike the middle ground in this recipe, binding the strength of the oil-cured olive to the sweet and mild Castelvetrano.

Olivada

Active Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Yield: Makes about 1 3/4 cups

1/4 cup pine nuts

1 cup oil-cured olives, about 5 ounces, pitted

1 cup pitted Kalamata olives, about 4 ounces

1 cup pitted Castelvetrano olives, about 4 ounces

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Dry toast the pine nuts in a small skillet until golden brown. Transfer to a plate to cool.

Combine the pine nuts and all of the remaining ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to finely chop, without making a paste.

Transfer the olivada to a glass jar or container and refrigerate for at least one hour to let the flavors develop. Serve at room temperature. Store the olivada in the refrigerator for up to 5 days (the flavors will mellow over time).

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS