Fun ideas for your bounty of fresh figs
By Becky Ellis
It’s fresh fig season and if you are fortunate enough to have a fig tree then you are no doubt blessed with a bounty of figs. After you’ve made fig preserves and given them by the basket full to your friends and neighbors, what will you do with all those figs? One of the best things about figs is that they are equally delicious in savory or sweet dishes.
Fortunately figs love to be paired with bacon, prosciutto, Parmigiano Reggia, burrata, pears, honey crisp apples, honey and all of those fabulous fall flavors. So all you have to do is cut them in quarters, place them on a cutting board with cheeses, fruits and charcuterie and you’ve got yourself the perfect snack for game night, movie night or just a casual gathering with friends.
Figs make very impressive appetizers. Your new favorite appetizer is going to be the Figs with Bacon and Chilie. You will find the recipe on the Bon Appetit website. This will get you drooling…fry some slab bacon, then add some maple syrup to some of the bacon drippings. Cut fresh figs in half and fry them in the maple bacon drippings until they are caramelized. Add a little red wine vinegar and red pepper flakes to the drippings and drizzle over the fried figs, topped with a small piece of crisp bacon.
How about a quick 2 ingredient appetizer for the very busy hostess? Simply place goat cheese in a small serving bowl and top with your homemade (or really good store-bought) fig preserves. Serve with toasted baguette slices or buttery crackers.
Remember the tried and true Wilted Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette? What could possibly make that salad taste any better? You guessed it – figs! The Spruce Eats website has a recipe for this iconic salad topped with blue cheese crumbles, fresh figs, toasted pecans and tangy red onion.
Gourmet Traveler has the perfect accompaniment to your spinach salad – Ricotta Fritters with honey and figs. Fresh ricotta with a touch of orange liqueur made into little fried fritters and drizzled with honey and chopped fresh figs. Fabulous flavors!
How about a special entree for dinner tonight? Figs and rosemary are a match made in heaven. Cooking Light has a delightful recipe for Lamb Chops with Fresh Fig Pan Sauce. Cooking Light has a recipe that combines figs, rosemary, honey and balsamic vinegar to make the most delicious sauce to serve with seared lamb chops.
Do you have a sweet tooth? Fans of Food Network know that any dessert Tyler Florence makes will be a fabulous dessert. You know the delicious flavor combination of figs and ice cream. Tyler Florence’s Spiced Honey Semifreddo is heavenly. Semifreddo means “half frozen” in Italian and it is made with whipped cream. I find it much easier to make than ice cream! Tyler’s semifreddo combines so many lucious fall flavors – vanilla, amaretto, figs, dates, honey, lemon and cinnamon with crumbled amaretto cookies on top.
What fun new recipe will you make with your bounty of fresh figs?