Yakima Apricots

Not only does the Yakima area grow good peaches, its apricots are awesome. Alas, the season is coming to an end. I bought a bunch of them today at the fruit stand for our regular potluck with friends. I poached them in sweet white wine, and received rave reviews.
This is what I did: Open a bottle of inexpensive (but drinkable) sweet white wine and pour it into a large skillet. I used Moscato, but you could use Riesling or Gewürztraminer. Add 1/2 cup sugar, three long pieces of lemon zest, and a vanilla bean, split open. Bring this mixture to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Meanwhile, halve and pit 10 ripe apricots. I didn’t peel them because I wanted the halves to keep their shape. When the poaching mixture comes to a boil, slip in the apricot halves so they fit in one layer. Turn the heat down to simmer. Place a piece of parchment paper on the surface of the apricots, then cover. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Scoop the apricots out with a slotted spoon, then turn the heat up and boil the poaching liquid until it’s the consistency of a medium to heavy syrup. Let the syrup cool slightly, then pour over the apricots and refrigerate until ready to serve. Put one or two apricot halves in a dessert dish, scoop in ice cream, and top with some fresh raspberries or blackberries. You can drizzle a little syrup over.