Honeyed Figs with Roasted Rosemary Goat Cheese

Exciting news here in the home of Bull City Food: my hubby passed his citizenship exam! Gavin hails from our friendly neighbor to north, Canada, and has been in the US for about six years. But getting his citizenship gives us a sense of security and we couldn't be happier. So obviously this was reason to celebrate and in our house, we celebrate with food and wine. As soon as I heard the news, I began pulling out recipes I have been wanting to try and thinking of some of his favorite things to put together a meal worthy of such an occasion. Although I don't usually make an appetizer when it's just the two of us, I really wanted to try this honeyed fig dish I found on The Sensitive Pantry, a food blog featured on Foodblogs.com. Fresh figs are very perishable and only in season for a short time so I've been trying to get my hands on some while I still can. They are available now at most grocery stores but tend to sell out quickly. If you can't find fresh figs, dates would also be delicious or even ripe peaches would work with these flavors. Grilling the figs brings out their natural sweetness as does the drizzle of honey and lemon. The goat cheese is creamy and slightly tart, making it a perfect pairing with the sweet figs. Besides tasting delicious, these figs look absolutely beautiful and would make an impressive addition to a cocktail party or buffet table. If you are serving them to guests, do everything except grilling the figs ahead of time and then grill them quickly right before service. You want to eat them warm as they taste the best this way and it also helps to slightly melt the goat cheese. Roasting the rosemary first mellows its flavor and adds a great dimension to the goat cheese. If you don't have figs, or don't like them, I would recommend just making the goat cheese and serving it with toasted bread or crackers. Any extra roasted rosemary could be chopped and spread onto grilled meat or sprinkled on top of focaccia. As this was only the appetizer for our celebratory dinner, I will have more to come on the rest of the meal soon.

Honeyed Figs with Roasted Rosemary Goat Cheese

• 2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 2 tsp olive oil, divided
• 1/2 cup goat cheese
• 2-3 tsp honey, divided
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 6-8 figs, cut lengthwise
• Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400F.
Place rosemary sprigs on a piece of parchment paper big enough to fully wrap the rosemary.
Add the crushed garlic; drizzle with about 1 tsp of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Wrap the rosemary in the parchment paper and then wrap the parchment in aluminum foil.
Bake in the oven for about 12-15 minutes, turning over half way through.
Allow the rosemary to cool before removing the leaves and chopping finely.
Combine 1 tbsp chopped rosemary, 1 clove of chopped roasted garlic (optional), goat cheese and 1 tsp honey in a small bowl. Set aside.
In another bowl, combine lemon juice, 1 1/2 tsp honey and 1 tsp olive oil. Drizzle this mixture over the figs and season with salt and pepper.
Place the figs on a preheated grill or grill pan on medium heat, cut side down. Grill for 2 minutes, turn over and grill for another 2 minutes.

Plate the figs, cut side up, and sprinkle the goat cheese mixture over top. Drizzle with more honey if desired, for added sweetness and presentation.

For a printable recipe click here