Nectarines have moved to the front of the summer dessert menu at several New York kitchens this week. The shift started after some chefs reported difficulty sourcing ripe apricots from their usual suppliers. At a Lower East Side bistro on Thursday afternoon, pastry chef Elena Torres described the last-minute swap as 'practical, not planned.'
The change is most noticeable in stone fruit tarts and simple baked desserts. At one Midtown café, nectarines replaced apricots in a rustic galette served with crème fraîche. The cost remained steady at $9 per slice, despite the ingredient change. Torres said, 'Nectarines are holding up well in the heat and keep their shape through baking.'
Greenmarket vendors at Union Square have also reported higher demand for nectarines since early June. One vendor, Samir Patel, noted that restaurant buyers picked up crates of the fruit before 10 a.m. on Friday. He cited a late frost in upstate orchards as a possible reason for the short apricot supply.
Customers have not seemed to mind the substitution. On a crowded Saturday evening in Williamsburg, servers at a Mediterranean spot fielded questions about the dessert's new flavor. Most diners ordered without hesitation, staff said. 'It's sweet, tart, and just as simple,' said one waiter.
With the summer heat expected to continue, pastry chefs say stone fruit desserts will remain a staple through August. Nectarines, for now, are the fruit of choice.