Pan-Grilled Apricots With Honey-Orange Lavender Syrup

For the syrup

2/3 cup clover honey

1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest plus ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice or blood orange juice

1 tablespoon chopped fresh culinary lavender spikes (flower heads) or 1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender buds

1 teaspoon coarsely crushed coriander seed

For the fruit

6 or 7 medium, just ripe peaches or nectarines, or 8 or 9 large just-ripe apricots

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 teaspoon olive oil or safflower oil

Pinch fine sea salt

For the syrup: Stir together the honey, the zest and juice, lavender and coriander seed in a medium nonreactive saucepan until well blended. Bring almost to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and let stand 1 hour to allow the flavors to infuse. Taste; if a more pronounced flavor is desired, cover and continue infusing the syrup for up to 4 hours, until the desired flavor is developed.

Reheat the syrup over medium-low heat until warmed through, then strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a glass jar or other nonreactive storage container. Discard any solids. The yield is 1 generous cup; you'll need 1/3 to ½ cup for this recipe (to taste). The rest can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

For the fruit: Thoroughly wash the fruit and pat it dry. Cut each peach or nectarine into 5 or 6 wedges; cut apricots in 4 or 5 slices. Discard the pits.

Heat the butter, oil and salt in a large skillet over high heat until bubbling and hot but not smoking. Add the fruit pieces, flesh sides down; sear them until nicely browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1/3 cup of the honey-lavender syrup, reduce the heat to medium and, cook, stirring and gently turning the fruit, for 2 to 3 minutes more, until the liquid boils down and begins to caramelize but the fruit pieces still hold their shape. Use a slotted spoon to immediately transfer the fruit to a plate.

Add 2 or 4 more tablespoons of syrup (the larger amount for more tart fruit) to the skillet. Cook, stirring, until reduced and slightly thickened. Let cool in the skillet.

When ready to serve, return the fruit to the skillet and cook over medium-low heat, gently stirring, just until reheated and well-coated. Strew the fruit with fresh lavender "bloomlets" before serving, if desired. Pass syrup at the table, if you like.

Makes 5 or 6 servings

Nutrition | Per serving (based on 6, using apricots, olive oil and 1/3 cup syrup): 110 calories, 1 g protein, 21 g carbohydrates, 3 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 45 mg sodium, 1 g dietary fiber, 19 g sugar

From cookbook author Nancy Baggett