lazy days and figs

Most of Fiona's movement during the day is following the patch of sun through the dining room windows. By the time we get home from work, the fur on her belly is hot and she is purring and stretching in contentment.  If you ever need a lesson in relaxation, adopt a cat.  They seem to understand the epitome of letting everything go and just be content to lay in the sun.  After all, isn't this what summer is all about?

Yes, I like strawberries, and raspberries.  Oh, and blueberries and blackberries are delicious as well.  But I LOVE figs.  These late summer fruits are abundant up north in Southern MD.  In fact, I have a great friend in NY who's family hosts an fig-inspired meal every summer.  Fig Fest has become a popular event and grown in size since it's inception 4 years ago.  The family has a very large fig tree on the side of the house that has inspired and produced the fruits for the day.  The beauty of the fig in my opinion is it's diversity in complimenting many flavors.  It's great with meat, on salads, or canned as a preserve.






The picture to the left is my Brown Turkey fig tree.  It's not ripe yet, but when it does ripen, the color will be a brown, purplish color.  The hard part is keeping the birds, opossums and other animals from eating them before I can.

 

This recipe is very easy and delicious.  It has bacon and figs.  What more could you ask for?  Oh, and fresh herbs from your garden.  I found ripe Black Mission figs in our local Publix.  You could save this recipe for later in the summer and use your own!  This is an appetizer I discovered a while ago out of the book The Herbal Kitchen    

Warm Figs filled with Goat Cheese and Bacon
1 tsp olive oil
4 oz bacon
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 TBSP chopped rosemary
1 TBSP chopped thyme
1/2 tsp salt
6 large ripe figs, at room temp
1/4 cup soft goat cheese

preheat oven to 350 degrees


Chop your bacon into small pieces.  Add the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat and render the bacon until it is nearly crisp.  Pour off half the fat, and add the onion, rosemary, thyme and salt.  Cook, stirring often, until the onion is soft.  About 3 minutes.

Cut the figs in half and press your thumb into the center of each half to make a small depression.  Arrange them face up in a shallow glass baking dish.

Add a spoonful of filling to each fig, making sure to cover the top.  Crumble the goat cheese and place roughly a tsp on each fig.  When ready to serve, bake the figs until just warmed through, about 5 min.

Serve warm and ENJOY!