poached nectarines

Lucien and I often play this age old game: "If you could be any animal, what would you be?" or "If you could be any fruit, what would you be?" Yesterday's answer was "a nectarine!" Those smooth, juicy stone fruits that ooze of some paradisaical Persian garden or a sun bleached terrace in the Greek isles. There I was, a sun ripened, round, sunset colored nectarine in Mykonos.. okay, you get the idea.
This is a super simple dessert and a great way to use very ripe fruit.
Adapted from a recipe by Sara Quessenberry.

Poached Nectarines

I bottle sparkling wine ( I used Segura Viudas Cava)
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 C sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 vanilla bean
6 halved nectarines

In a large, non-reactive saucepan, bring the wine, sugar, honey and cinnamon stick to a boil. Split open the vanilla bean and scoop out the inside. Add seeds and pod to the pan.

Add nectarines and simmer gently until the fruit is tender, approx. 15 minutes, then remove from pan.

Continue to simmer the liquid until reduced to 1 cup. Discard vanilla pod and cinnamon stick and pour the syrup over the nectarines. Serve warm or refrigerate until chilled.