OPINION | FRONT BURNER: Caramelized Nectarines a simple, sweet dessert

This dessert is so simple it doesn't really need a recipe, but I wrote one anyway because that's what I do.

My inspiration was a bowlful of nectarines from Barnhill Orchards in Lonoke and a carton of Country Crock Plant Cream, a heavy whipping cream alternative made from plant proteins and fats.

I bought the fruit. The plant cream was a sample sent to me by a PR agency.

In our dating days my husband was a huge fan of Country Crock buttery spread. He preferred it for its cold-from-the-fridge spreadability. I eventually converted him over to real butter. (Sorry, Country Crock.)

I've tried a variety of alternatives to whipped cream — Cool Whip and its copycats, Almond Reddi-wip, the thick layer of coconut fat skimmed from the top of a can of chilled coconut milk — mostly out of professional curiosity, not because I'm interested in ditching dairy.