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?