Also memorable are the monkfish medallions presented with roasted figs, Swiss chard and a sweet-tangy pepper-Port sauce.

Then I made a small salad with soft lettuces, and for dessert, ice cream with roasted figs and the vexing honey sauce.

But rack of lamb was tough in spots, and its accompaniment of roasted figs in a port sauce struck me as an afterthought.

A whole deboned duck, juicy and tender, becomes the very expensive gift wrap for a stuffing of porcini mushrooms, roasted figs and foie gras.

So last week, on a crisp October evening, she and a dozen friends celebrated her harvest with a menu of roasted figs, fig pizzettes and fig relish.

But there was plenty else to like: flinty white wine in a chilled glass, flour-dusted sourdough rolls, sweet roasted figs paired with prosciutto.

A seven-course menu, including zucchini frittata, tomato risotto and roasted figs, will be served at the end of the class.

Elegant roasted figs with ricotta and honey took only 15 minutes from start to finish (including roasting), as did the warm peach gratin with sour cream.

Salads also made a good showing, especially the mound of arugula over prosciutto, surrounded by roasted figs with melted Gorgonzola caps.

Among the fruit-based desserts were excellent roasted figs on a cinnamon-accented sauce of figs and red wine, accompanied by a delicious rice pudding.