This summer salad is a testament to the fact that the best things in life are worth waiting for—among them juicy, ripe seasonal produce. Inspired by a conversation with Alice Waters, as well as the Heirloom and Cherry Tomato Salad from her 1999 Chez Panisse Café Cookbook, this recipe also takes advantage of another fleeting summer staple—stone fruit, including peaches, nectarines, apricots, and plums. A heap of craggy, garlicky croutons is also added to soak up the sweet-and-savory juices, a tip taken from Waters’ 1996 Chez Panisse Vegetables book. Visit your local farmers market (or better yet, your home garden) to source the ripest fruits, and savor the process of selecting them; this might be your one chance until next year. Even small fruits should be sliced in half so their interiors can be exposed and their juices released. It’s best served as soon as it’s prepared so the croutons stay crunchy and the fruits don’t get mushy, but if you’d like to prepare this an hour or two in advance, refrain from adding the croutons until just before serving.