figgy-licious toasts
my first encounters with figs was in the form of fig newtons. but never have i had fresh figs until a couple of weeks ago on one of my dishes at incanto in san francisco. (more about that in another post) it started off with one bite and i was in love :)
since then, i couldn't get enough of them... i kept telling my friends how much i love fresh figs. i get excited every time i find them at the grocery store. fig obsessed would be best way to describe the situation. all the better because of the great health benefits these babies had to offer.. i am a bit sad that they are almost out of season... eek!
surprisingly, the latest food network magazine featured a recipe that uses these delicious fruits which inspired me to make my rendition of figgy toasts.. it was rather simple and required the aseembly of just a few ingredients that also included bread, goat cheese, honey and pistachios.
ciabatta was my choice of bread and sliced but i decided not to toast them in the oven. instead, i roasted the halved black mission figs tossed in olive oil (btw, i prefer black mission figs over the green counterparts) in a preheated 400F oven for about 10 minutes to soften it up. in retrospect, i think i should have sliced them instead of just halving them - so it would be easier to lay them on the ciabatta slices.
while the roasting happens, i added some honey into goat cheese and incorporated both the ingredients to make a smooth spread. i slathered one side of the toast generously which is then topped with the warm roasted figs and some chopped pistachio that i roasted a bit in the oven to bring out the flavors of the nut. finally, just a small drizzle of honey as a finishing touch.
verdict i liked it but i thought something was missing. it was sweet and loved the fig flavors with the goat cheese which was slightly savory and creamy. should have bought the roasted pistachio with the shell on (i was lazy that day!) which could have gave that extra nuttiness and saltiness to round up the flavors. weird thing was, i made extra and put some in the fridge and it tasted better the next day! maybe cos the flavors had a chance to blend together better. and i kinda liked it slightly chilled.
since i had some extra roasted figs and goat cheese with honey blend, i bought some extra potato bread, arugula, thick slices of spanish chorizo to make it into a delicious sandwich. it was really good with an extra drizzle of balsamic vinegar so you get the mix of peppery, savory flavorfulness from the chorizo, creamy and sweet. yummy!
i'd say this is a great snack or appetizer or just if you want to eat the figs in a different way. if you're interested in trying out the recipe:
toast with figs & goat cheese
inspired by a recipe in food network magazine
ingredients |
- 6 fresh black mission figs, halved
- bread of your choice - get enough to obtain six slices with half an inch thickness (my pick would be ciabatta or french bread or even multigrain toast)
- 4 tablespoon of goat cheese (more if desired)
- 2 teaspoon of honey and more to drizzle
- a handful of roasted pistachio, deshelled
directions |
- preheat the oven to 400 F. toss the halved fresh figs in olive oil and some salt.
- optional || if desired, drizzle some olive oil on slices of bread and toast at a 400F oven for 10 minutes
- while the figs roasts in the oven for 30 minutes to soften, incorporate the goat cheese and the honey together to get a smooth spread.
- spread the goat cheese mix generously on one side of the toast.
- place two fig halves on the toast. top it with chopped roasted pistachios and drizzle some honey as a finishing touch. it is ready to serve.
note || it may be hard to find fresh figs in the store so it is possible to substitute with dried figs but since it is much sweeter, leave out the honey in the recipe.
1 comments:
Mouthwatering! Thanks for sharing the recipe, seems healthy~~
Best,
Bev
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