The deep purple peel of the Black Mission fig wraps up a delicate pink, lightly sweet center. It’s a perfect place to tuck a leaf of fresh basil stuffed with a bit of honey goat cheese and topped with fresh berry preserves. What a simple, yet spectacular way to enjoy this late summer fruit!
I love figs. Most people’s exposure to figs comes from that “Newton” cookie and not from the sweet, succulent fruit harvested fresh from the tree. I must admit for years I fell into this category. It was not until we had an in-home Nanny of sorts – Hazel – who helped care for Emily when she was little and I was working. Hazel had an enormous fig tree in her yard and she gladly shared its bounty. Fast forward, a few years ago, Emily, Matthew, and I were making our way through a Farmer’s Market in Atlanta and ran across a local farmer selling fresh Black Mission figs.
But it’s how they were sampling these figs that took this beautiful fruit to an incredible place. They had fresh figs with goat cheese, basil, and fruit preserves making for a heavenly combination!
They can be served as a unique side for brunch or dinner, a light dessert alongside a glass of port or an elegant or casual appetizer. Black Mission figs are a favorite but other varieties are equally delicious. Fresh figs can be found in markets in two seasons, earlier in the summer then again in late summer through early fall. Look for figs that are somewhat soft to the touch, full and plump with no breaks in the skins. Buy them as fresh as possible – only a day or two before you plan to use them as they ripen and spoil quickly.
Enjoy the luscious beauty of figs with this simple adornment!
Figs with Honey Goat Cheese, Basil, and Fruit Preserves
10 fresh Black Mission figs
10 fresh large basil leaves, rinsed and dried
2 ounces honey goat cheese, softened slightly at room temperature (if honey goat cheese is not available, plain goat cheese will work)
About ¼ cup mixed berry preserves, or your favorite berry preserve
Rinse the figs and dry them completely. Slice off the top of the fig removing the stem then slice through the fig, about ¾ of the way leaving the base of the fig intact.
Place about 1 teaspoon of the goat cheese in the middle of each basil leaf.
Gently tuck it into the middle of the figs.
Place the figs on a serving tray and top each one with about a teaspoon of the preserves. If you want a smaller serving, cut the figs in half, place a basil leaf with the goat cheese on top followed by a dollop of the preserves.
The figs can be made about 2 to 4 hours in advance. Keep them covered and chilled until you’re ready to serve. You can refrigerate any figs you have leftover, the basil leaves will wilt slightly but the taste is still divine! Makes 10 appetizers.
Figs with Honey Goat Cheese, Basil, and Fruit Preserves
Ingredients
- 10 fresh Black Mission figs
- 10 fresh large basil leaves, rinsed and dried
- 2 ounces honey goat cheese*, softened slightly to room temperature
- About ¼ cup mixed berry preserves, or your favorite berry preserve
Instructions
- Rinse the figs and dry them completely.
- Slice off the top of the fig removing the stem then slice through the fig, about ¾ of the way leaving the base of the fig intact.
- Place about 1 teaspoon of the goat cheese in the middle of each basil leaf and gently tuck it into the middle of the figs.
- Place the figs on a serving tray and top each one with about a teaspoon of the preserves. If you want a smaller serving, cut the figs in half, place a basil leaf with the goat cheese on top followed by a dollop of the preserves.
- The figs can be made about 2 to 4 hours in advance. Keep them covered and chilled until you’re ready to serve. You can refrigerate any figs you have leftover, the basil leaves will wilt slightly but the taste is still divine!
