Summer Harvest Eating IV: Figs with Goat Cheese, Basil, Honey, & Prosciutto

Today is my sweetest’s birthday. In some ways, this is a landmark celebration for us- it’s the 14th birthday of his we’ve spent together. On birthday #3 I started making fancy meals to commemorate the occasion. The first one took me two whole days of prep. I’ve gotten more efficient in 13 years. I’m not going to give you the whole meal rundown in this post, oh no.. I’m going to keep you hanging…but, I do think you’ll appreciate this little starter. It’s simple, delicious, and elegant.

Figs are coming in. I love figs. I’d never encountered a fig until I moved to New Mexico, where I learned we had a Giant (as in 15 feet tall) fig tree in the side yard. I’d never eaten one. Boy, was I a fast convert. The first year in our house there, I climbed up on the roof and fought the birds for the ripest figs. I had no idea they were so heavenly. No wonder they’re the stuff of Greek legends.

So, when I saw the ripe figs showing up at the market, I had to indulge. I could go on and on about the many different ways to consume a fig. Personally, I like them best sun-warmed. Nothing else. But if you need a little accoutrement with your figgy deliciousness- this simple recipe is sure to please. The basil just makes the whole thing sing….You can plate these one of two ways- with a little basil for garnish, or for an amuse buche, you can place each fig on its own basil leaf with a dot of honey. One bite and you’ll be transported to the Parthenon.

Figs with Goat Cheese, Basil, Honey, & Prosciutto  

makes as many as you want- a pint of figs yields about 20 bite-sized pieces

Ingredients

1 pint of ripe figs

5-7 slices prosciutto

4 oz. fresh goat cheese

20 large basil leaves (sweet basil is best), enough for each one

honey- use honey in a squeeze bottle so that each piece gets 1-2 dots of honey

Directions

Wash figs and remove stems. Slice in 1/2 lengthwise. If the figs are super fat, you can slice them into 3 or 4 pieces.

Grab a fig piece. With a fork or knife, smoosh a piece of goat cheese onto the fig and then wrap in 1/4 of a prosciutto slice. Place on a plate and dot with honey. Or take a basil leaf, dot with honey and place fig onto the basil leaf, adding a dot of honey to the top of the wrapped fig. Eat right away, or if you can control yourself, plate and serve as an amuse buche or a first course.

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