Nectarines and skillet meatballs: Who knew?

Stone fruit can go from not-quite-ripe to squishy so quickly. Other than making quick freezer jam, I can have difficulty using the fruit in time.

But this summery dish, adapted from a New York Times recipe, specifically calls for ripe to over-ripe fruit -- nectarines or peaches or even red pluots -- that will break down quickly into a delicious sauce for turkey or pork meatballs.

I decided to use a mixture of both meats, because ground turkey can cook up so dry.

The basil and fresh ginger contributed nicely to the flavor blend, but I also could see working in a bit of dried red pepper flakes or adding a few squirts of hot sauce to the sauce. The cumin is a minor note compared to the other spices.

I didn't remove the skin from the nectarines before cooking, but you might want to if you have very fuzzy peaches.

Meatballs in stone fruit sauce with ginger and basil

Serve 4

Ingredients:

3 garlic cloves, smashed and minced

1-1/2 tablespoons finely minced or grated fresh ginger

1-1/4 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

1 pound ground pork or turkey, or a combination

1/2 cup panko crumbs or other fine bread crumbs

3 tablespoons or more finely chopped basil, plus some whole leaves for garnish

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine (or broth or orange juice)

2 cups diced ripe to over-ripe nectarines or peaches (peel if too fuzzy) or pluots

1/4 cup or more slivered red onion (or white onion or scallions)

1 lime, halved

For serving: white rice, egg noodles, shaped pasta or salad greens

Instructions:

In a large bowl, stir together the garlic, ginger, cumin and salt. Add the meat, panko crumbs, 3 tablespoons of chopped basil and a grind or two of black pepper.

Working gently, with hands or a wooden spoon, thoroughly mix the ingredients together but don't overmix or pack it. Form the mixture into 1-1/2-inch balls. (This made 17 meatballs for me.)

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the meatballs in one layer, and cook, turning them gently, until they are browned on all sides, about 7-8 minutes.

Pour the wine (or broth or juice) into the pan and move the meatballs over to one side, using the wooden spoon or a spatula to scrape up the browned bits. To the open space in the pan, add the diced nectarines (or other stone fruit), a pinch of salt and 2 tablespoons water.

Bring the fruit to a simmer, stir in the onions, then cover the skillet and reduce the heat to medium. Cook until the meatballs are no longer pink in the middle and the fruit is juicy but still retains some shape, up to 10 minutes longer. The onions should be wilted. If the sauce is still thin, let it cook with the lid off for a minute or two. If it's very thick, add more wine or juice as desired.

Squeeze one of the lime halves over the pan, stir, and then taste. Correct seasoning with salt, pepper and more lime juice as needed.

Serve garnished with basil leaves, alongside rice, noodles, shape pasta or salad greens.