poached figs

There's little to beat a freshly picked fig, still warm from the summer sun. But it's also good to have a few ways of turning them into a stylish dessert.

Lots of variations on a theme - I'll add variations as I come across them.
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Figs in sweet Beaume de Venise muscat wine

8 fresh figs
1/2 bottle of beaumes de venise
strip of lemon zest
1 vanilla pod

stab the figs 2 or 3 times, and gently poach covered 5 - 10 mins in the simmering wine, lemon zest and vanilla pod. Use a wide frying pan that will take them in a single layer. Drain, remove lemon and vanilla, reduce liquid, pour over figs, cool.

Alternatively, cut them through into quarters, but not right the way through the core; put into baking dish with montbazillac (sweet desset wine); or rasteau, or even cassis; bake ... and I serve at room temperature.

Serve with creme fraiche, creme anglaise (vanilla custart), or vanilla icecream.

Or vanilla fromage frais, or any of the varieties of not quite yoghurt/not quite cream/not quite cheese stuff that fill the dairy of shelves of french supermarkets (and range from 0% through to 33% fat content). Just add sugar and the vanilla seeds from a vanilla pod