Speaking of figs (we were, sort of), how about a fall-y, figgy salad?
Here in the SF Bay Area, where the calendar says October but the weather says August, it’s just what the doctor ordered—seasonally-appropriate figs in a temperature-appropriate setting.
I’m lucky enough to have figs growing in the back yard. The ones towards the top of the tree, the ones I can’t reach, are for the birds. Literally. But the rest are for me.
I mostly eat them as snacks, or with yogurt and granola for breakfast. But I’ve also been known to make Drunken Fig Jam and Honeyed Fig and Goat Cheese Tarts. Plus there’s my friend Pam’s fig-bite appetizer.
It’s all Pam’s fault, really. See, she had a fig tree in her back yard and I thought it was just so cool that she could pick a few, halve them, stuff each half with a little blob of blue cheese, then top it with a jaunty walnut and a drizzle of honey. Voila!—the most California casual appetizer ever. Picked from one’s very own tree.
But I digress. Figs in salad are a good thing. Especially while it’s still warm out. Especially when you add goat cheese, candied pecans, and a simple shallot vinaigrette. (Here’s the recipe.)
Here’s to fig season!
And—thanks, Pammy.