I’ve decided that I really need friends with fruit trees. The kind of friends that have so much delicious, ripe fruit bursting from their trees that to them, I am doing them a huge favor by taking some.
Lucky for me, I found a friend in the California Fig Advisory Board. They have lots of fig trees in their backyard (the whole state, really! Lucky ducks!) and were kind enough to send me some.
I take that back. They didn’t just send me some figs, they sent me a ton of figs. Two massive boxes, five flats worth, each a different variety. I’m not kidding here. I think Taylor’s eyes were bugging out of his head when he saw the sheer quantity of figs spread out on our counter. Some of the figs didn’t make the trip so well, but in my mind, squished figs make the best jam.
Yes, I said jam. More jam.
At this point I think I need to get rid of some shoes or something to make room for it all. We’ve got jam jars filling up every square inch of extra space in our cabinets, both in the living room and kitchen… and I have a feeling we’re going to need to make room in the bedroom pretty soon.
But jam isn’t all I’m doing with these special fruits. Aside from eating them whole, we’ve been doing our best to enjoy as much fresh figgy goodness as possible before these delicate fruits disappear. I’ve even frozen a batch of them to try to preserve them in their freshest state. We’ve been having fun comparing each different variety, the green ones slightly floral, the darker kinds sweeter and more robust.
Our favorite use so far has been this simple starter. Figs, goat cheese, balsamic vinegar, and prosciutto. All wrapped up in a neat little package. This dish would make a fabulous (and impressive) appetizer, or, as we did, part of a larger tapas-style meal.
Goat Cheese and Prosciutto Wrapped Figs
Easily adaptable for any quantity. Plan on 3-4 figs per person for a starter.
Ingredients:
- Fresh figs, halved
- Goat cheese
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Proscuitto
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Arrange fig halves on a foil or parchment lined baking sheet. Top each half with a teaspoon or so of goat cheese. Press into fig. Drizzle lightly with balsamic vinegar (about 1/2 teaspoon per fig).
- Cut prosciutto lengthwise into 1-inch wide strips. Carefully wrap each fig in one strip.
- Bake for 7-10 minutes or until heated through. You may choose to bake them longer if you like for crisper prosciutto.
Did you make this recipe?
Let us know what you think!
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I cut my figs in half and sauteed them cut side down in butter and honey until carmelized. Then I Mix them with plain yogurt. Can’t get enough!
Just tried a new thing! Thick fig jam and crumbled blue cheese on an English muffin. Yum!
This was an amazing light supper with a salad I’d field greens and a balsamic honey vinaigrette.
Thank you so much
JAM JAM JAM!!! Can’t get enough of making jams, jellies and preserves! I love experimenting too. In fact, I just finished making a batch this evening!
simple- fig halved and sprinkled with balsamic, add a dab of goat cheese and heat in oven for 6-8 minutes, or if you like wrap in prosciutto first. More complicated, roast brussel sprouts with fig quarters and almonds, choose your dressing, could toss in blood orange olive oil or go for balsamic and shallot…so versatile! crunchy and roasty and toasty and chewy complex earthy all at once!!
thank you so much for the recipies. i have looked at this page for many months and am glad it is still up. beautifully shot too. i, L.O.V.E fresh figs.
jewel
I don’t know if I’m too late to enter, but I LOVE figs! We just got back from Italy and the best way to eat them in my opinion is how we did there, just fresh and in a couple of bites. However if I won these I’m thinking some fresh and the rest in jam…the ones you described sounded amazing and I love fig jam with sharp cheese…delish!
Giveaway is now CLOSED, and the winner has been chosen! Thanks to all who entered!
Oooh those figs look delicious. I would probably try to just eat them all plain, but luckily with that many there are enough left to try any number of recipes. I’m thinking of jams and tarts.
THE best figs I’ve ever had were from the “Bread Lady” on Salt Spring Island http://www.phillipvanhorndesign.com/bakery/index.html# … I believe she used them on a pizza, it was divine! It’s been almost a year to the day that I had these figs, first time I’d ever eaten figs in my entire life! Would love to win, these California figs look delish!
My favorite way to enjoy figs is as crostini. Fig jam, cambozola cheese & something salty, such as prosciutto or kalamata olives. Now I’m salivating.
Wow, I could really go crazy with all those figs! I think the first thing I would make is the Fig & Balsamic Jam from the Ad Hoc cookbook. Then I would make a Fig Galette. Then I would try your recipe for Goat Cheese and Prosciutto Wrapped Figs. I think I might substitute blue cheese in some of them. Then I might consider sharing some with friends…
I am totally in love with your site, writing style, and taste buds. I have tried several of your recipes all to much success. I also love figs. I think if gifted with a bounty of figs I would follow your example and make jam, jam, and more jam. That way, their deliciousness would follow us into the winter months via toast, pizza, ice cream, baked brie, and many other delectable treats. Keep posting and tantalizing our taste buds!
I would be tempted to just gorge on the figs. A favorite childhood memory is sitting under the sprawling fig tree (almost like a cave) in my backyard reading and sharing figs with the dog.
My favorite dish is Roasted Figs with Mascarpone Brandy Sauce. Mmm, I’ve been dreaming of it all week. :-)
I fig(ure) that I would make a homemade pizza with roasted fig and prosciutto as toppings! I just got a new pizza stone and am dying to use it :)
I love pickling figs!
Figs with goat cheese and candied walnuts in a salad sounds heavenly!!! And Fig Jam, and Fig cookies, and fresh figs. Oh the possibilities!
FIg brown butter tarts, fig pizza ( basil pesto, roasted grapes, sundried tomato, figs, walnuts, chèvre, and arugula on whole wheat crust), fig chutney, candied figs…oh I could use those babies up!
Oh my – figs and couscous, couscous and figs – a match made in heaven!
Tweet Tweet! :)
http://twitter.com/natwhat/status/22717529689
I haven’t worked with figs much, but I would like to. I’d like to make a fig jam, and then some sort of fig & brown sugar topping for ice cream. I’m not sure how I’d do it. Or maybe just put the figs and brown sugar in the ice cream, that might be good too. :)
MMMM….my grandma used to make pickled figs…gonna have to give that one a shot.
YUM! I would do figs in brandy syrup- love having jars of this in the pantry for winter time :)
good lord. i am ready to swim in figs. i think lots of fig jam, roasted fig ice cream perhaps? some tarts and definitely fig-and-cashew-cheese pizza. please!
Oh goodness I am a fig nut. Prepared sweet or savory or eaten like apple out of hand, I love figs. They are hard to come by in my neck of the woods though. One of my favorite fig recipes is from Sept. ’09 Bon Appetite, figs and lamb chops.
I used to climb the fig tree behind my parents home in Southern Italy. It grew older with me. We were friends. During the summers I would sit perched up the tree reading my favorite book…what a special hideaway. And for snack, of course, I would have a ripe, sweet honey-tasting, flowery fig, picked right from the tree.
I think the best way to taste figs is just as as, peel included…but they have to be perfectly ripe and just picked. The second best way might be to quickly grill them then serve them quartered over greek yogurt with a drizzle of honey and sprinkled with chopped pistachios.
My grandmother used to make a walnut cake with a fig syrup/preserve/spread on top every year around the holidays. If I get a hold on any figs this year, I’ll bring them over to her house and ask her to show me how she makes it.
I love figs but have never made them in a recipe!! Does that count me out? I always eat them before I can prepare something. Your jams have inspired me
Extremely jealous of your fig bounty. David Lebovitz has a fig tart with marscapone that I’m dying to try. Simple figs and goat cheese, however, are to die for.
I’ve only just discovered figs! Had ’em for the first time last year at the end of their season, then when they came around this year I was unemployed so I couldn’t afford them. It was torture!!! So I’m not sure what my favorite recipe is yet. I know I love them with goat cheese. But I’m thinking that fig jam you posted would be at the top of my list! What couldn’t you eat it with?
caramelized fig sauce over roasted duck breast.
with that much fig the possibilities are endless.
Caramelized Fig Tart! (Puff pastry, figs, brown sugar+butter) Fig jam!
I had the best figs at a food festival this weekend, so I can’t claim it as my own. It was grilled figs with a basalmic glaze, a fresh goat cheese sauce and marcona almonds. So good! If I won, I would try to recreate the dish…
Oh how I would love those figs!! My grandmother made fig cookies, cucidati, my entire life. I loved them, and I now love figs and fig jam of all kinds. I would love to try my hand at making my own. I love stuffing them with goat cheese and honey and wrapping them with prosciutto also. Phenominal! Pick me please! It would make my week! :)
Mmmm, I LOVE figs and would be so excited to win your contest! I love them when they’re fresh, just chopping a few up and adding to plain greek yogurt with a dash of honey. Fig jam makes the best grilled cheese — slather some onto your favorite bread, add some gruyere, and toast to perfection. If I had 15 dozen fresh California figs, I would try out some of your jam recipes, make fig newtons from scratch, and grill pizza with figs, goat cheese, and arugula. I would also add chopped fresh figs to homemade granola, bake them into a fig tarte tatin, and try out some cocktail recipes — maybe fig, bitters, bourbon, and a twist of lemon for a fig old fashioned?
A delivery of figs would be just about the best thing ever! I am obsessed with them, but unfortunately can only find them for about one month a year here in MA. I would totally make fig ice cream from David Lebovitz’s book should I luck out–and of course some fig jam too, to serve on crackers with yogurt cheese (one of my favorite snacks). Thanks so much for hosting this giveaway, and for the great posts on all this jam you’ve been making :) looks delicious.
These pictures are lovely!!! Can’t wait to try this recipe and the jams!
Thank you for the opportunity for this giveaway!
To be honest, my favorite fig recipe is none. I prefer eating them plain. Although I have had fig jam, tarts and the like, I always prefer eating them as is.
(I’m like that with peaches too. They are also too luscious.)
I would make boatloads of jam too…and maybe(just maybe) gift it to family and friends as well :)