S e r v es 6 t o 8
12 to 16 fresh Black Mission
figs, stemmed and halved
lengthwise
1 Tbs. canola oil
1 to 2 Tbs. aged balsamic
vinegar
2 Tbs. sugar
11/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
11/2 to 2 pints vanilla ice cream
About 1/2 cup honey
5 large fresh mint leaves, thinly
sliced (optional)
Grill these figs as dinner is
winding down—they take only a
couple of minutes to prepare.
- Heat a gas grillto medium low
or prepare a low charcoal fire. Set
the figs cut side down on a baking
sheet and brush the rounded
side with the oil. Flip and brush
the cut sides ofthe figs with the
balsamic vinegar. In a small bowl,
toss the sugar with the thyme,then sprinkle overthe figs. Setthe figs on the
grill, cut side facing up. Coverthe grill and cook untilthe sugary tops startto
bubble and brown and the bottoms ofthe figs getlight grill marks (without
burning), 5 to 8 minutes. - Serve immediately over scoops of ice cream, drizzled with the honey, and
sprinkled with the mint, if using. —Tony Rosenfeld
strawberry-balsamic granita
M akes abo u t 6 c ups sc r ape d
gr a n i ta ; se r v es 1 2
10 oz. ripe strawberries (about
1 pint), rinsed and cored
1/2 cup plus 11/2 Tbs. sugar
11/2 Tbs. high-quality balsamic
vinegar
The balsamic vinegar supplies a depth of flavor and sweetness to this granita.
Cut each berry into quarters; you should have about 2 cups lightly packed
fruit. In a food processor, combine the strawberries and sugar and process
until smooth, about1 minute. Transferthe purée to a medium bowl. Add
the vinegar and 11/2cups water and stir wellto combine. Follow the freezing
method below. —Nicole Plue
the freezing process step-by-step
- Pourthe mixture into a 9-inch-square
shallow baking pan. - Putthe pan in the freezer and stir every
30 minutes with a large dinner fork, being
sure to scrape the ice crystals offthe sides
and into the middle ofthe pan, untilthe
mixture is too frozen to stir, about 3 hours
depending on howcold yourfreezeris (some
granitas can freeze in as little as 1 hour). - Coverthe pan with plastic and freeze
overnight. When ready to serve, place a fork
atthe top ofthe dish and pull ittoward you
in rows, moving from leftto right and rotating
the pan. Scrape up the shaved ice and fill
chilled glasses.