It’s Fig Season in our neck of the woods and that means we’ll have a bounty of juicy plump figs. If you are lucky enough to have your own fig tree (or a friend with a fig tree) you will have up to 60+ figs on a mature tree (1-2 years old). Since figs are very food friendly, they pair perfectly with many other foods – both sweet and savory. Figs love to be paired with:
Honey: stuffed with mascarpone cheese, wrapped with prosciutto, roasted and drizzled with honey
Bacon: add fresh figs to fresh spinach salad with warm bacon dressing
Blue Cheese: blue cheese and figs on crostini or make a simple arugula salad with fresh figs, blue cheese, toasted pine nuts and a sprinkle of shredded Parmesan cheese. Serve with balsamic salad dressing.
Bourbon: Mix up a Figgy Old Fashioned – figs, bourbon, orange juice and maple syrup. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar for a twist on the traditional.
Chocolate: Dark chocolate dipped figs sprinkled with flaky sea salt.
Greek Yogurt: Caramelized figs served over Greek Yogurt with your favorite granola.
Pork: Figs love any pork product – pork tenderloin/chops, ham, prosciutto and bacon. How about a Fig Prosciutto Pizza? Top your favorite pizza crust with Boursin Fig and Balsamic Cheese, some shredded mozzarella, fig preserves, arugula, crumbled baked prosciutto and some chopped toasted walnuts. Bake until mozzarella cheese is melted. If you like it a little sweet, drizzle your fig pizza with a little honey.
Balsamic Vinegar: try this elegant cheese spread using Boursin seasonal cheese offering – sweet Fig and savory Balsamic:
Fig Balsamic Cheese Spread
- 5.2 ounce Boursin Fig and Balsamic Cheese
- 2 tablespoons fig jam (or spread)
- 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3 green onions, white part and half of green part, sliced very thinly
- 2.25 ounces pine nuts
- ½ tablespoon butter
- Chopped fresh figs for garnish (if available)
- Fine Cheese Company Lemon Sea Salt Extra Virgin Olive Oil Crackers (available at Fresh Market)
Place Boursin Fig and Balsamic Cheese, fig jam and cream cheese in a small mixing bowl. Mix with a rubber spatula until smooth. Add green onions and mix.
Melt butter in a sauté pan. Add pine nuts and stir over low heat until pine nuts are lightly browned. Remove from heat.
Place cheese mixture in a decorative serving bowl. Top with toasted pine nuts. Garnish with chopped fresh figs (optional). Place in refrigerator for 1 hour to chill. Serve with Lemon Sea Salt Crackers.
About the Writer:
Following her career in healthcare dining and nutrition management, Becky Ellis followed her passion to create Bubblybee, a champagne and food blog. Her motto is “Don’t wait to celebrate! Pop the cork now!” She loves to share tips for entertaining with bubbly. Find her creative recipes and champagne tasting notes at bubblybee.net and Instagram @cocktails_w_bubblybee.
