Oh. My. Goodness. It’s the season for fresh figs (hooray!), and so far, it has NOT disappointed me.
You’ve had fresh figs before, right? (NO?! Stop what you’re doing and go eat one RIGHT NOW.) If you have- you haven’t lived until you’ve had them roasted, warm right out of the oven, with melty goat cheese with a sweet and tangy rosemary honey balsamic dressing spread over crostini.
Haven’t. LIVED.
Until only about a year ago, the closest I came to eating figs was from Fig Newton cookies. We’ve all had those and, don’t get me wrong, they are absolutely delicious. But fresh figs are an entirely different ball game. The texture is creamy and soft mixed with the crunch from the seeds, and the flavor is sweet, somewhat tart, and delicate. I was lucky to come across an entire display of different varieties of fresh figs at my local Central Market– four varieties of green and dark colored figs. The darker figs are sweeter and softer, and the greener figs are more tart and a bit firmer. Both are delicious, and both will work for this recipe.
A misconception I used to have about fresh figs was that I thought they needed to be cooked, and skinned, to eat them. This is not the case. You can eat the whole thing- skin and all- and should! The skin is no tougher than apple skin and is delicious. And you can certainly pop them in your mouth raw- or put them on an Apple and Prosciutto Sandwich with Goat Cheese (just sub out the apple for fig!).
You may have picked up on my obsession with the combination of figs and goat cheese. Figs + goat cheese is the most perfect pairing in the world. For an easy appetizer for a party (or for a night in with a glass or wine), serve goat cheese, fig jam, and crackers. Layer a cracker with the cheese and the jam and you will be in heaven.
One other important thing to note: not only are figs DELICIOUS, but they are extremely healthy for you. They’re an excellent source of dietary fiber, potassium, and vitamins B and A. And while I’ve never tried them, apparently fig leaves are edible and healthy as well! Who knew they had another purpose other than covering up depictions of Adam and Eve?
Also, I think I probably need to plant a fig tree or two in my yard.
Whether you need an appetizer for your next party or a fancy option for wine and cheese night, you HAVE to try this recipe. Here are the printable instructions!
Roasted Figs and Goat Cheese with Rosemary Honey Balsamic Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. fresh figs about 8, stems removed and halved or quartered (depending on size)
- 3 oz. chevre (soft) goat cheese
- 1 tablespoon rosemary chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- kosher salt to taste
- 16 crostini or crackers for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- In a small bowl, whisk together chopped rosemary (1 tablespoon), olive oil (2 tablespoons), balsamic vinegar (2 tablespoons), honey (1 tablespoon), and salt to taste.
- In a small baking dish, arrange figs cut side up.
- Crumble goat cheese on top of the figs (I usually use a fork or knife to get chunks off the goat cheese log right over the baking dish, since it's so soft and difficult to crumble).
- Drizzle the dressing evenly on top of the figs.
- Roast in oven for 15 minutes, or until figs have reached the desired tenderness/are starting to brown. (if they are taking a while to brown, you can finish them under the broiler).
- Serve figs and goat cheese on crostini drizzled with extra dressing from the bottom of the baking dish.
Notes
- Depending on the kinds of figs you use, you may want to use more or less honey. Green figs tend to be more tart, so you may want more, whereas dark colored figs tend to be naturally very sweet.
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Lisa
Deliciousl, I have made these twice now and my guests have loved them, I substituted the crostini for a bed of rocket leaves though.
Elizabeth
So happy you liked it! I love the idea of serving it on rocket- I have some sprouting up in my garden right now and am always looking for new ways to use arugula. Thanks for the suggestion!
Elizabeth C.
These photos are absolutely gorgeous! My mouth is watering just looking at them!
Elizabeth
Thank you!! :-)