Figs are in season right now, and as soon as I saw them on sale at Whole Foods the other day, I bought two pints for $5–an excellent deal for an exotic summer fruit. Figs are best when incorporated into more minimalist recipes, as I did today for my lunch: halved figs drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, seasoned with herbs de Provence, rosemary and sea salt. With fresh produce, I usually throw together side dishes and salads with only those ingredients I have on hand rather than running out to the store to pick up more extravagant add-ins. While my own pantry certainly isn’t robust enough right now to make the dishes listed below, they’re certainly worth a try if you have the money for a few specialty items as a treat:
- toss halved figs in olive oil in a small glass dish, season with salt, top with teaspoons of soft, creamy goat cheese or brie and put in the oven for 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees
- put together a simple salad of arugula, quartered figs, goat cheese or brie, candied walnuts or pecans, and olive oil and balsamic vinegar
- a excellent toasted or cold sandwich: spread goat cheese on crusty sourdough or whole grain bread and top with smoked ham and lightly smushed figs
- a hot panini with figs, prosciutto, and brie
- a variety of pizzas featuring figs at Guilty Kitchen, Bakin’ and Eggs and Healthy-Delicious
- Mark Bittman weighs in on grilling figs here
Don’t miss out on an opportunity to play around with these delicious fruits while they are still in season!