Five ideas for appetizers and snacks using summer fruit

Fourth of July falls on a Wednesday this year, which means your best course of action is probably to enjoy the federal holiday at home with an abundance of summery foods and cold drinks.

And you can ask friends to bring the beverages. What you should provide are appetizers or snacks to be noshed on throughout the day. We've got five ideas for ones that make good use of this season's brightest, most flavorful fruits.

Peach Salsa

Adding fruit to a standard salsa helps cut down on that tomato acidity, and showcase those bright flavors of summer. This recipe would work with any stone fruit: peaches, plums, nectarines or even cherries. If you're short on time, you could simply buy your favorite store-bought salsa and add some diced peaches. But I guarantee this from-scratch version will be worth the kitchen time. Start by dicing 1 whole red onion until it's very fine, and place in a medium bowl. Dice 2 or 3 medium tomatoes, making them as large or as small as you'd like for your salsa. (You could also sub a red bell pepper if you don't want any tomato at all.) Add to the bowl, along with 1 whole jalapeno that has been seeded and minced. Keep some seeds in the mix if you want more spice. Remove the pits from 2 large fresh peaches and dice peaches into roughly the same size as the tomatoes. Add to the bowl, along with a large handful of chopped fresh cilantro, salt to taste and the juice of 1 lime. Stir well to combine everything. Refrigerate for about an hour before serving.

Strawberry and Brie Crostini

This snack requires very little work for how elegant the end result looks. To make, start by heating your oven to 350 degrees. You could also use the grill for this, if you've got that going. Wash a 16-ounce clamshell of fresh strawberries and remove the green tops from the berries. Thinly slice berries and place in a bowl. Squeeze half a lemon over top, then drizzle with about 1 teaspoon honey. Stir to combine, and let berries sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Slice a baguette into ½-inch pieces and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Place in oven and toast for about 5 minutes, until just lightly browned. (Or place them on the grill grate for a couple of minutes, flipping once, until toasted.) Meanwhile, slice an 8-ounce wheel of Brie cheese into relatively thin slices, so they're about twice as thick as your strawberry slices. Remove toasts from oven and place on a serving plate. Let cool for at least 10 minutes. When cool, top each slice of bread with a piece of Brie. Top that with some strawberries, removing them from the bowl with a fork and letting any excess liquid drain. In a small bowl, whisk together equal parts honey and balsamic vinegar. Lightly drizzle finished toasts with mixture, then top with finely chopped fresh basil.

Plum and Prosciutto Skewers

For me, one of the first signs of summer is biting into a perfectly ripe, red plum and letting the juice drip down my hand. Try to find ripe plums for this recipe, as the plush texture and sweet flavor are needed here. To make, quarter four plums and remove the pits. In the place where the pit was, spoon a teaspoon or so of goat cheese. Repeat with remaining plum quarters and line up on a piece of parchment paper. Drizzle the plums with honey to taste, then season with black pepper. Thinly slice 12 pieces of prosciutto or ham. Carefully wrap each plum quarter with a piece of prosciutto and stick with either a toothpick or a sprig of fresh rosemary to secure. (Tip: Strip some of the leaves off half the rosemary sprig so it's more sticklike.) Drizzle a bit more honey on top and serve. If you want to serve something meat-free, simply halve the plums, remove the pits and spoon some goat cheese into the wells. Drizzle honey on top and sprinkle with freshly chopped rosemary and black pepper. Recipe adapted from aidamollenkamp.com.

Cherry-Watermelon Salad With Mint

Cherries are my favorite summer fruit, and they bring some interesting texture and a gorgeous color to this fruit-forward salad. Start by pitting 1 cup cherries, then cutting the cherries in half. Place in a medium bowl. Use about 2 cups precut store-bought watermelon, or cut a whole watermelon in half and use one half for this recipe. Either way, cut the red watermelon flesh into ½-inch cubes and add to bowl with cherries. Juice 1 lime and add to a separate small bowl along with 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. This is your dressing. Season with salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Pour over cherries and watermelon and stir well to coat the fruit. Top with a handful of finely chopped fresh mint. Taste and adjust any seasonings. Want something more savory? Sub baby tomatoes for the cherries.

Raspberry Ricotta Dip

Set this tart and lightly sweet dip out with a fan of crackers or another fruit like apple slices. To make, mix 1 cup ricotta cheese with ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt and 2 tablespoons raspberry jam. Add in ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract and stir well. Taste. If you want it sweeter, add more jam. Wash a 6-ounce package of raspberries and reserve half the container. Roughly chop the other half and fold in to dip. Garnish with remaining berries on top of dip and serve with desired accoutrements. Or, have it all preassembled: Spread some dip on crackers and top each with one whole raspberry. Recipe adapted from driscolls.com.