More Figs!
I've stated before how obsessed I am with figs. I snatch them up whenever I see them at the store. Jasper does not share my love of these little jewels, which means more for me! Bwahahahaha! ...Okay I'm fine now, sorry about that.
Mostly I like to eat my figs with cheese - this makes me ridiculously happy. Coincidentally (or not), I also like to eat my cheese with fig jam. Anyway, one of the most popular pairings for figs is blue cheese, so I wanted to play around with that a bit.
I broiled the figs with blue cheese so that they were hot and melty, but I didn't stop there...
I topped them off with crispy prosciutto and honey.
It's okay if you drool a little, I understand.
Going in a sweeter direction - I also made some balsamic glazed figs with mascarpone.
Adapted from this recipe - I tossed the figs with a glaze made from balsamic vinegar, sugar, orange juice, and orange zest and broiled them. Then I served them on top of mascarpone whipped with cream and sugar.
The cream melting into the hot figs with the sweet and tangy glaze... yeah - this was pretty much heaven.
Roasted Figs with Fresh Ricotta
Continuing with the theme of fresh, homemade ricotta - I made these decadent and sophisticated figs roasted in a cinnamon honey butter and spooned over thick and creamy ricotta.
Whisk honey and cinnamon into melted butter and pour over cut figs (I used Black Mission). Roast at high heat until soft and coated in syrup.
Spoon over a fresh ricotta. The honey butter is sweet enough that you don't have to add any sugar to the cheese, and some of the ricotta gets melty under the hot figs while the rest stays cold for a nice contrast. So good, so so good. Go make this. Now.
Tasty, Tasty Figs
I am so obsessed with figs right now. I buy a pint (or two) every week. And while they are amazing on their own or simply drizzled with honey, I like to give them the fancy treatment from time to time.
Like with this gorgeous pasta dish with figs, toasted walnuts, goat cheese, spinach, and lemon zest.
Or done up in a super classic pairing with prosciutto and mozzarella.
I cut some Black Mission figs in half, sandwiched a piece of mozzarella between them, wrapped them in the prosciutto and skewered them.
Then I broiled them until the ham was nice and crispy and the cheese was melty and drizzled the whole thing with honey. Ridiculously yummy - and the house smelled fantastic!
I am nowhere near done with my fig phase, still - more to come!
Fig and Walnut Pasta
adapted from Green Kitchen Stories
serves 2
whole wheat spaghetti, enough for 2 people
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 cup white wine
1 small lemon, juice and zest
1 big bunch of fresh spinach
4.5 oz goat cheese
3.5 oz walnut halves, toasted in a dry pan
salt
5 fresh ripe figs, cut into quarters
Boil the spaghetti to al dente, according to the instructions on the package, and set aside when done.
Add olive oil to a large frying pan on medium heat. Add garlic and let it sweat for about 30 seconds before adding the wine and lemon juice. Stir around, add spinach and goat cheese while stirring (save a small piece of the goat cheese for later). Let it simmer for three minutes before adding the spaghetti and the roasted walnuts. Stir for 30 seconds, taste it and add salt if needed, make sure that the spaghetti is covered in the goat cheese/wine/lemon cream then turn off the heat.
Add the figs and gently fold them into the pasta. Serve on a big plate or in a bowl with the rest of the goat cheese and lemon peel sprinkled over it.
Light and Fresh – Summer Food
The last time I posted a recipe for you was over a month ago! Oh my goodness! You have my deepest apologies, dear readers, and to make it up to you I will post not 1, not 2, but 3 delicious summer recipes for you!
Let's start with this gorgeous zucchini tart from Closet Cooking (which is a blog that I highly recommend). Puff pastry is topped with a mixture of ricotta, feta, lemon, fresh herbs, and an egg along with thinly sliced zucchini and baked to puffy, golden perfection. Served on its own or with a side salad, this is the perfect summer lunch.
Next up, take advantage of those juicy summer tomatoes in a slightly different take on a fresh tomato pasta with a Roasted Tomato Sauce.
Turkey Apple Burgers with Avocado, Tomato, and Corn Salad
Ah, summer - hot weather, cool drinks, fresh produce, grilling. For me, summer is mostly about air conditioning and trying not to get sunburned; but there are times when I get excited about it - beach trips, BBQ's, long days. On one of these bouts of enthusiasm I decided that I wanted legit summer food, so here it is.