Juicy peaches. Mouth-watering melons. Antioxidant-rich cherries and blueberries.

There's a gorgeous array of seasonal fruit available, just beckoning to be turned into fruit salad.

But for most of us, fruit salads are basically variations on the same old theme. Pleasantly tasty, perhaps, but not very exciting.

Here's a suggestion: Why not give your fruit salad extra panache this summer? Make it savory. Upgrade it from the ordinary to a toothsome delight. Look beyond dessert and consider serving it as antipasto, a side salad or even a light meal.

Begin with one fruit or a combination of fresh or grilled fruit. Then add fresh herbs, such as mint or tarragon, arugula or basil. Next, perhaps some cheese: You could try parmesan, feta, goat or blue cheese.

Finally, season the fruit with your choice of flavoring ingredients, ranging from mildly savory to downright spicy, or out-of-the-ordinary sweet. Try olive oil, date syrup or molasses, white wine, preserved lemons or lively jalapeno, with a twist of freshly ground black pepper to taste. The results will knock your slippers off.

If you are uncertain about how to start, try the following recipes and have fun experimenting. This is an easygoing pursuit, perfect for lazy summer days.

You may already have the ingredients in the kitchen.

Or introduce your own choices, especially with the fruit. Use what you and your family like best, or what is at its peak in your local market the day you're shopping for salad ingredients.

It's the suggested combinations that may surprise you.

Strawberries plus onion, honey and chili? When it's teamed with blue cheese, absolutely.

Lemons stuffed with peppered apricots and plums, with lavender dressing? Taste it and decide whether to have a second helping.

These recipes are from Amir Calphon, chef of the Carmel Forest Spa, near Haifa, Israel.

This one is guests' favorite.

FRESH STRAWBERRY AND BLUE CHEESE SALAD