Apricots And Cherries And Peaches And Pluots, Oh My!

Cheer up kids: Summer's not over yet. It may seem hard to avoid being bombarded by the ridiculously early back-to-school specials that have no doubt popped up like weeds in every store you care to walk into, but as long as there are peaches falling off the tree somewhere in the Northern Hemisphere, there's still hope yet.

Click here to see the Apricots and Cherries and Peaches and Pluots, Oh My! Slideshow

And so, with succulent stone fruit at their peak, it's time once again to start making all-time American classics like peach cobbler and cherry pie, but we think there's always room for a little creativity as well. This week, The Daily Meal's editorial staff have worked hard to bring you six original recipes, all featuring the best seasonal produce. Cherries, apricots, pluots, and peaches abound in this roundup. And, once again, we are lucky to have members of our Culinary Content Network join in on the fun.

The Force is strong with Donna Currie, the author of Cookistry, a blog dedicated to the art and science behind cooking. By combining the best of both worlds, she hopes to make cooking a magical experience for people. But of course, the most important thing is to have fun.

And Christie Ellis, also known as Pepper Lynn, focuses on cooking nutritious, flavorful meals for her family based on what's fresh and in season. Her simple approach to cooking is perfect for busy folks who still want to cook when they get home.

And last, but not least, Lori Rice, author of the blog Fake Food Free, created a fantastic and healthy salad using black rice. If you haven't had black rice before, this is definitely a recipe worth trying.

Click here to see Peachy Peach Recipes

Will Budiaman is the Recipe Editor at The Daily Meal. Follow him on Twitter @WillBudiaman.