Our three-week trip visiting both sets of grandparents is coming to a close, signaling the end of summer. By this time next week, my eldest will be a three-day veteran of 2nd grade.

No wonder that my kids were feeling glum as they went to bed. To chase away their gloomy thoughts, we shared one thing we wanted to do on our last day. My 2-year-old wanted to go fishing. Ditto for my 4-year-old. But my 7-year-old longed to visit a commercial flower farm, so this morning we oohed and aahed over hydrangeas and dahlias until the humidity got the better of us.

My choice? Visiting a farmers’ market in Culpeper, Virginia, a lovely little town with more fine restaurants than you’d expect in such a rural area. There amid the live music I found the usual late-summer suspects: sweet corn, heirloom tomatoes, patty pan squash, cucumbers. But I also found fresh figs, and knew that no matter what we had for dinner, they’d be on the table.

Hours later, after traipsing through those acres of flowers, doing laundry, packing, fishing, and fishing (again), I had little time for cooking. So I opted for this simple recipe of Caramelized Figs with Goat Cheese and Almonds, an elegant way to say goodbye to vacation.

Caramelized Figs with Goat Cheese and Almonds

Plan on 3-4 figs per person. Wash and slice fresh figs. Dip cut ends in sugar (coat them well) and place them in a non-stick saute pan over medium-high heat. Once the sugar is light brown, turn the figs over for another minute or so. Put figs on a plate with a morsel of goat cheese and a roasted, unsalted almond snuggled in each one, and drizzle the entire plate with honey. Serve immediately.