Broiled Apricots with Truffle Honey, Parmesan and Walnuts

Sometimes I buy an ingredient because it's fresh and in season, not because I know exactly what I'm going to do with it. That was the case with these apricots I got from Stone Barns, a wonderful non-profit farm near my home. They were too gorgeous to resist! And apricots are packed with beta carotene, fiber and Vitamin C, to boot. 

I'd also been itching to use this fab truffle honey one of my friends brought me from her recent trip to Rome. My creative juices kicked in and here's what I came up with:

Ingredients:

serves 2

• 8 apricots
• 1-2t extra virgin olive or coconut oil
• 2T chopped walnuts
• 1T truffle honey (or regular ol' honey if you don't have friends who travel to Italy and hook you up)
• 2t grated parmesan (optional)

Halve the apricots and discard the pits. Put the apricots on a small baking sheet; you can cover it in foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup.

Drizzle the halves with oil and put in the oven with the broiler on high. (I actually made this in my toaster oven, so my kitchen wouldn't heat up too much.) Broil until the fruit begins to char, about 7-9 minutes; if you're adding cheese, just sprinkle it on a minute or two before you pull the apricots out of the oven. If you don't eat dairy, I recommend sprinkling a pinch or two of sea salt over the fruit - the touch of salt with heighten the sweetness.

Remove from oven and drizzle with honey. 

Top with walnuts and enjoy!

You could certainly use nectarines or peaches in place of the apricots. Just pick whatever is freshest in your neck of the woods. No matter what fruit you choose, you'll end up with a dessert that is nutritious, sweet (but not sugary), simple and stylish. Who'da thunk it was made in a toaster oven?