Fig and Stilton Parcels

You may have picked up that I've been doing rather well for figs this year.  My tree has been so giving.  So, as well as handing them to Son who is a big fig fan, I'm trying to think of some nice things to do with them.  And keeping it simple, with stuff I have to hand - fresh, store cupboard or freezer - and avoiding anything that needs any more than just a little kitchen prep time.  Sunny days are too precious to waste hanging around in a kitchen, eh peeps?

Here's what I made recently with what was around the house, in and out.

Fig and Stilton Parcels

I made the parcels with and without pastry, so that the meal had a bit of variety and wasn't too stodgy - I had to save some room for pud, eh?!



Ingredients (serves 4)

*Half pack of frozen puff pastry

8 fresh figs (uber fresh for preference), washed halved and with stalks cut off

Stilton cheese, amount according to preference

Pack of sliced prosciutto ham (parma or pancetta could also be used)

Honey, runny

Olive oil



Pastry Parcels

1. Heat over at 180c, fan oven or 200c for a non-fan oven.
2. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured board.  Cut into four pieces.
3. Place half of each fig on each square.
4. Crumble stilton over figs.  Add a fresh chopped herb or two if you have to hand.
5. Drizzle with honey.
6. Place other half of fig on top.
7. Wet the edges of the squares with water.
8. Pack up the pastry around the filling and seal well.
9. Brush with milk, beaten egg or oil if you fancy.  I didn't.
10. Place on a well-oiled baking sheet.

Non-Pastry Parcels

1. Crumble stilton over half of each fig.
2. Drizzle with honey.
3. Parcel up with the prosciutto.
4. Place on the oiled baking sheet and drizzle lightly with olive oil.

Bake for about 20 minutes, checking that the pastry is lightly browned and remove the non-pastry parcels if they look like they are burning/getting too dry.  The idea is to warm them, nothing seriously needs cooking with this element of the 2-part dish.

Served here with lightly sautéed potatoes and a lettuce and red onion salad dressed with a little balsamic glaze.

You can, of course, choose to make one or the other of the parcels, depending on your fancy and what you have to hand.

*And here comes the naughtiness ... I used the other half of the pastry to make a pudd!

Fig and Walnut Slice

1. Thinly roll the pastry.
2. Place washed and stalked half figs on half of the pastry.
3. Sprinkle chopped walnuts over the figs and drizzle with runny honey.
4. Wet the pastry edges.  Fold over the "vacant" half and seal.
5. Bake with the parcels as above.
6. Serve warm slices with some double cream, crème fraiche or yoghurt.  Maybe even some ice cream!

I served the remaining pud, sliced and at room temperature, when Bro popped round for coffee the next day.  So nothing goes to waste.

This is an extremely tasty supper.  So, if you make it - enjoy!


And now, as it nears the end of the fig season, the figs I'm picking are very ripe.  If anyone out there has a good recipe using up v. soft figs, I'd love to hear from you.
I'd love to hear from you no matter what, even if you don't have a slushy fig recipe!

A la perchoine.

Fig, Stilton and Walnut Salad

According to Paul Simon, there are 50 ways to leave your lover.

I need to find 50 ways to serve up my fig crop!

Here's an absolutely delicious lunch I put together today, using what I had to hand.

Fig, Stilton and Walnut Salad



Ingredients

2 fresh figs per person

Stilton cheese, quantity according to preference

chopped walnuts, about a handful per serving

Runny honey

Method

Wash figs, cut off stalks and halve.  Place on a serving dish.

Crumble stilton over figs.

Sprinkle walnuts over figs.

Drizzle honey over figs.

It's that simple!

Serve with a salad of shredded little gem lettuce, finely sliced red onion and quartered tomatoes (mix of colours if you have them). 

Drizzle a little balsamic glaze over the salad, maybe a bit of olive oil, and season.

And then  ... enjoy!!!

This is a perfect little lunch for enjoying outdoors.

And here's an aerial shot I took in the kitchen before I traipsed outside with lunch.  You could substitute the figs for pears or apples, if you can't get hold of figs.  Or if you just don't like them. 

I am growing to love their fine refreshing flavour.

So, peeps, that's 1 way to serve figs.  49 to go!!!

A la perchoine.