prosciutto-wrapped figs

The figs this year have been amazing: giant, beautiful Turkish figs, intensely flavorful mission figs.

Tip: they are even better wrapped in proscuitto.

I am taking an Italian class Tuesday evenings at Stanford, in anticipation of a trip to Italy in the Spring to visit my brother, who will be studying in Bologna. My professor's name is Giovanni. Because the class is focused on basic Italian for travelers (and perhaps because it runs through dinnertime), a decent amount of our conversation tends to be focused on cibo, food. At least twice per class, Giovanni reminds us: Prosciutto e melone? No, no. Prosciutto e fichi. Prosciutto e fichi sono deliziosi.

So perhaps it was due to Giovanni's inspiration that I had prosciutto and figs on my mind when I was planning our dinner party last weekend. I found this combination to be perfectly balanced: salty against sweet, the crispy prosciutto di Parma offset by the soft flesh of the fig. Meravigliosa!

Prosciutto-Wrapped Figs

40 appetizers

20 mission figs

2 oz. goat cheese

1/3 lb. thinly sliced prosciutto

honey

Preheat broiler.

Remove stem from fig. Slice in half. Top each half with a dallop of goat cheese. Wrap with prosciutto. Place prosciutto-wrapped figs on baking tray.

Broil for about 2 minutes, until prosciutto begins to crisp and cheese begins to melt. Transfer to serving tray. Drizzle with honey. Enjoy!

fig, apple, brie panini

It's my first full day back home after a 3-week stay in Seattle at my mother's. In the middle of unpacking, laundry, catching up on snail mail, and doing all of the other things one does after returning home from being away, I found time to play with one of my new toys - a Cuisinart Griddler. Here's what I did:

Fig, Apple, Brie Panini

Serves 2

baguette*, cut into 2 4" pieces then sliced in half, or 4 slices rustic bread

fig jam

brie

dried figs, thinly sliced

apple, thinly sliced

Spread jam on baguette or bread. Follow with slices of brie, figs, and apples (in that order). Top with other half of baguette. Repeat to make second sandwich. Grill in panini press 3-4 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

*No, a baguette is not what one would typically use for a panini, but it's what I had on hand, so I put it to good use!

roasted nectarine & fig spinach salad

I've long been a fan of roasted vegetables. Roasting concentrates the sugars and brings out a whole new flavor. But it's only recently that I started experimenting with roasting fruit. We had roasted strawberries for dessert a couple of weeks ago (just when I thought there wasn't anything better than fresh strawberries from the farmers' market - I learned there is: fresh strawberries from the farmers' market roasted and then tossed with the tiniest amount of high quality balsamic vinegar. Yum!).

As far as roasted fruit in salads go, that idea was prompted by the salad that Dave and Ashley brought over before the bike race week before last. Theirs included grilled peaches. It was fantastic. Because I've never used a grill in my life (that duty falls squarely into JR's realm in my family) and am much more experienced with a little device called the oven, I decided that roasted fruit in a salad would probably work well, too.

I started out thinking only of the nectarines that were on the counter. But when I eyed the beautiful figs also purchased from the farmers' market that morning, I couldn't resist throwing those in, too. I'm glad I did. The resulting salad was super tasty. Here's what I did:

Roasted Nectarine & Fig Spinach Salad

Serves 2

1 nectarine, sliced (I used a large, white nectarine from the farmers' market)

3 large figs, quartered

1/4 c. walnuts, toasted

3 handfuls spinach

2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp. maple syrup

1 Tbsp. olive oil

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly oil the bottom of a baking dish. Arrange figs and nectarine in a single layer in dish. Bake 15 minutes, or until edges begin to brown and fruit is fragrant. Remove from oven; set aside and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, make dressing by mixing vinegar, maple syrup, and olive oil. Toss spinach with dressing. Top each salad with fruit and nuts.