I thought I would only do one fig post this summer…“First Figs….A Savory Tart” which I posted a few weeks ago. That was until I got a phone call from a neighbor, Berdelle Campbell, asking if I wanted to come and pick figs from her trees. The next morning I was at her house reaching deep into her Brown Turkey Fig trees, climbing atop a ladder to get the really ripe ones, popping many into my mouth for breakfast. An hour and 8 lbs of figs later we exhaustedly made ourselves stop…saving some for the birds.
Post fig-picking Berdelle made us warm toasted bread smeared with cream cheese. We crushed very ripe figs into the cheese and ate these little bites standing in the garden along with her friend, Betty. Have you ever eaten figs this way?
Thus began my “fig odyssey”. I ate fresh figs on salads, I canned figs turning them into sauces & jams. I made a thick chutney-like roasted fig recipe that is best eaten on aged Cheddar or Gouda, that was inspired by my friend Nancy over at “Good Food Matters”, which is the recipe I am sharing today.
A recipe for “Figs Roasted with Orange Peel, Thyme, Maple Syrup & White Balsamic Vinegar”
Simply do this…..
1. Use 1 lb fresh ripe figs, rinsed & drained & cut in half lengthwise.
2. Spread cut figs out flat on a baking sheet. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
3. Drizzle fig halves with 1 cup Maple Syrup.
4. Add the peel from one orange and sprinkle over figs.
5. Toss 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh thyme over all.
6. Splash 1/2 cup White Balsamic Vinegar across figs. Place pan in oven and roast for about 30 minutes or until figs are just starting to caramelize. Remove pan from oven.
7. Store roasted figs in glass jars with tight-fitting lids in refrigerator until ready to eat. They will keep for up to 3 weeks chilled. If not using immediately then freeze for up to 6 month.
Serve smeared on toasted bread, with any of your favorite cheeses….especially good with an aged cheddar, or as you would a chutney, along side roasted meats or chicken.
Do you like your figs dried or fresh? What are some ways you use figs in recipes? Have you ever eaten fresh figs warmed by the morning sun just picked from a tree?
