Sexy Fig Salad

When I first announced to a few select friends that I was the proud new mama to a darling Brown Turkey fig sapling, naturally, they were overjoyed for me.

And they started sending me recipes. (Yeah, they love me.)

Thanks to my MEF (most excellent friend, to you), I discovered this recipe by Jamie Oliver. Really, I’m not even sure you can call it a recipe since it is so darn easy to put together. I whipped this little masterpiece together when I got home from work yesterday and sat gleefully on the couch to dig into it.

And I now know why Jamie calls it “sexy”. I never really thought about it, because he is always using that word in reference to food, but this time.... well, I understand.

See, this could be a knife-and-fork salad. Because the figs aren’t truly separated into pieces, just fanned out on gorgeous display, looking all sensual....and the prosciutto is left in long, leggy strips...which, honestly, you just can’t eat gracefully.

This is how it went.....

I started with the plate on my lap, delicately tucking into the salad with a knife and fork.....

And very gradually, I moved from a sitting position to being semi-reclined, propped up on one elbow.... knife and fork thrown to the wind.... lifting beautiful long drippy pieces of prosciutto and dangling them over my mouth.... picking up blushing segments of fig, nibbling the rosie flesh from the skin, then finishing that off as well.... wiping the luscious dressing from my chin with the back of my hand.

And then I paused..... and I looked down at myself. And I laughed out loud.

And my five year old son says to me, “Mommy WHAT are you EATING??”

I think I blushed.

You just can’t beat walking to your front door after a long day at work, plucking three fresh figs off the tree on your porch, and turning them into this sexy little salad.

Try it...I dare you. Just don’t do it in front of your husband. Well, you know, unless you’re in the mood.

This is the excerpt from Jamie’s article. I just love the way he talks, so I had to include it verbatim.

One thing I do is to criss-cross the figs but not quite to the bottom - 1 fig per person is always a good start. Then, using your thumbs and forefingers, squeeze the base of the fig to expose the inside. At this point you'll think, 'Oooh, that looks nice, I think I'm quite clever ...' or at least I do. More importantly, it allows your dressing to get right into the middle of the fig. All these little things really help to make a salad special. Simply place the figs in a dish, weave around 1 slice of Parma ham or prosciutto per fig, throw in some slices of buffalo mozzarella and rip over some green or purple basil. Mix 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, a tablespoon of good honey and some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper together in a bowl and drizzle everything with this dressing. As far as salads go, it's pretty damn sexy.I agree completely, don't you?

TFF - Greek Yogurt with a Fig, Date and Honey Swirl

Every once in awhile, my little small-town grocery does something that makes me very happy. Kind of like the time they finally started carrying fresh(er) mozzarella. No, not the real deal, floating in water, but the vacuum sealed balls are better than nothing.

Friday afternoon when I was browsing the store, looking for a few items to fill in the gap between last week's dinners and this week's, I came to a dead stop in front of the dairy case. "Dost mine eyes deceive me?" No, it is not an illusion....right here, in my quaint little market, was a display of FAGE greek yogurt. If you have never had greek yogurt, and you often think to yourself, "Come on, what's the big deal?" when you hear chefs on Food Network talking about it.....well, you've just got to taste for yourself.

Its like the difference between Jell-o cheesecake, and New York cheesecake. Fat Free Sour Cream and Creme Fraiche. More expensive, too? You're darn right it is. So, no, I wouldn't use it for ALL my yogurt needs, but there is a Tyler Florence recipe I've been very intrigued by and I just knew that even though the recipe says you can substitute strained plain yogurt in lieu of greek yogurt, that it would not be the same. And I was right....

This unctuous concoction is like a little mouth full of heaven....superbly creamy, decadently sweet, with little bits of rich date and fig, and a crunchy crumble of toasted nuts on top. Much more substantial than regular yogurts, this was a perfect treat for my breakfast at work today, and with a minimum of effort. The swirl was like a little treasure trove of candy hiding in a milky cloud. I'm seriously considering putting it in my little popsicle molds and making frozen yogurt treats to last all summer! If you love yogurt....I don't care if you've never tried figs before, you are gonna LOVE this! Come on over to Tyler Florence Fridays this week and see all the lovely dishes, including this one, which is my entry for this week.

Greek Yogurt with a Fig, Date and Honey Swirl
Recipe by Tyler Florence

Show: Food 911

Episode: Hail to Greece!Ingredients

1/4 cup walnuts

1/4 cup almonds

1/4 cup pine nuts
***I just used 3/4 cup of a can of deluxe mixed nuts

6 figs, fresh or dried, cut into quarters (I used dried, because I have never, I repeat NEVER seen fresh figs anywhere in this region.)

6 dates, pitted and chopped

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup water

1 lemon, juiced

1 cinnamon stick

2 cups Greek yogurt

Mint leaves for garnish (yeah, anyone need some mint? It is taking over my garden....)

Directions:
If you can't find Greek yogurt, drain regular yogurt, refrigerated, overnight through cheesecloth. Toast the nuts in a saute pan over medium heat until they become fragrant. Put the nuts onto a plate and set aside; when cool enough to handle, chop them roughly. In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the figs, dates, honey, water, lemon juice, and cinnamon stick. Cook for about 10 minutes until fruit is soft. Set aside and let it cool slightly; remove the cinnamon stick. Place the yogurt in a big bowl. Spoon the warm fruit onto the yogurt and gently swirl the fruit through the yogurt. Sprinkle on the nuts and garnish with mint leaves. Serve immediately.

You want some, don't you?