Fruit and cheese, upgraded

Grilled plums with goat cheese and honey-thyme drizzle

A plate of fresh fruit and cheese is a delightful way to cap off a summer meal. But add some heat, honey and herbs to that basic pairing and you wind up with a sensuous, out-ofthe-ordinary dessert that has a real wow factor.

In the accompanying recipe, the heat of the grill warms ripe plum halves just enough to caramelize them a bit and release their juices while the char that forms on their cut sides gives them a slightly savory flair.

Pretty much any large stone fruit, such as peaches or nectarines, would work as a substitute. The key is to use whatever looks and smells the most beautifully fresh and ripe. The fruit is served warm, or at room temperature, with goat cheese — but not the usual, plain goat cheese. Here, chevre is whipped with honey and a dash of milk into a smooth, dollopable cream and then chilled, so its texture resembles a dense whipped cream. It tastes rich and lightly sweet, with the intriguing undertone of the distinctively grassy cheese.

Each plum half is Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 2-4 minutes Makes: 4 servings The plums can be cooked on an outdoor grill as well. ounces soft goat cheese (chevre) tablespoons low-fat (2 percent) or whole milk tablespoons honey tablespoon fresh lemon juice teaspoon coarsely chopped fresh thyme leaves medium ripe plums (about 20 ounces total) tablespoon olive oil blackberries (about 3 ounces total) Combine the goat cheese, milk and 1 tablespoons honey in a bowl. Beat until creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Makes about cup. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons honey, the lemon juice and the thyme. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Cut the plums in half through the stem end, pit them and brush the cut sides with oil. Grill cut sides down until softened a bit and charred in spots, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer cut sides up to a plate to cool slightly. Serve with a dollop of the goat cheese cream, each topped with a blackberry and drizzled with the honey-thyme mixture.

160 calories, 6 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 25 g carbohydrates, 23 g sugar, 4 g protein, 90 mg sodium, 2 g fiber topped with a dollop of the cream, punctuated with a plump blackberry and finished with a drizzle of honey, lemon juice and fresh thyme. Basil or mint would work well, too, when you want to switch it up.