Tags
arugula, arugula salad, arugula salad with figs, balsamic reduction, balsamic vinegar, figs, figs and goat cheese, fresh figs, goat cheese, mission figs, what to do with fresh figs
I’m so happy fresh figs are still in season. Really happy.
I love making salads and with my boys in school, I’m enjoying making different salads for myself to enjoy for lunch. Sometimes, I’ll grab one of the three {yes, three} books from my bedside table and read while eating my lunch. Uninterrupted reading time while the sun is still out is magical.
{There is something so late-summer about fresh figs.}
I can feel that summer is dissipating and I’m longing for cooler weather, baked apples, choosing just the right pumpkin and watching the leaves turn. Can you feel it too? I just might pop in You’ve Got Mail with Meg Ryan just to hear her character say she loves the smell of sharpened pencils (ala a new school year starting). Me too.
To get ready for fall I’m looking through my recipes for stews, butternut squash and acorn squash and yeast breads. I’ll also be making lots of chili, since it’s a favorite of my husband’s. My boys are already talking about Halloween and what they plan to be {of course, this changes almost daily}. And, projects. Oh my, do I have projects galore. Things like sewing curtains (straight sewing I can totally do, just no curves or pleats for me), changing the wreath on our front door, and looking for mums for the front and back porch.
I’d say this recipe is simplicity at its finest and a very small amount of ingredients: just five to be exact. The hardest part about this recipe is reducing the balsamic vinegar to a sweet, syrupy consistency and surprise, it is {so simple}.
My recipe is for one serving, however you can easily double or quadruple this to make additional servings. I’d love this as a first course for dinner guests.
Arugula with Fresh Figs and Goat Cheese
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups fresh arugula
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 thin slice of red onion, cut in half and separated
about 1 ounce of goat cheese, crumbled
2-3 figs, stemmed and quartered
Method
Plate arugula onto salad plate. Pour vinegar into small sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat. And then reduce vinegar to 1/4 cup. This step takes a little less than 10 minutes. Vinegar will have a syrupy consistency and coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and cool in glass bowl or cup.
Add red onion, figs and goat cheese to arugula. Use about 1-2 tsp of balsamic reduction to top salad.
Serve immediately.
Servings: 1
Kitchen Note: You will have leftover balsamic reduction, which may be used for more servings.
I’m sharing with:
A Beach Cottage, Savvy Southern Style, At the Picket Fence, French Country Cottage, Clean and Scentsible, A Southern Fairytale and Ekat’s Kitchen.
Main St. Cuisine 
Mmm, mmm….good. That salad looks so enticing. I never think about fresh figs; I’ll have to try them. Of course, they were very popular when I was younger…..being Italian. The family ate them as a dessert or a snack.
I might try to put together a tart with figs and puff pastry this week. Doesn’t that sound good?!
I agree with Carole, I never think of fresh figs. I’m interested in your puff pastry, can’t wait. My daughter wants to be a demented fairy for Halloween. I have a rule, you have to choose by Labor Day and you can’t change your mind after. She thinks it will be so easy to find a black tulled skirt and black wings. My mom says that I enjoy the frustration of Meehie’s creative ideas that I then have to execute. It’s a bummer when your mom is right.
Karen
I need to research how to put together this tart. I have a few ideas on how to prepare the filling and then I suppose I’ll just experiment. I like your rule on Halloween costumes. I think it’s funny to listen to my boys discuss with one another what they want to be and then how to talk me into it. Will you be sewing the black tulle skirt? I hope you post photos. I’m thinking of making my costume this year but this will require a little assistance from my mom. I wish I could sew just a litte better and a little more often.
Allison
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Allison-
I’m not much of a sewer, although my daughter thinks I am. I have a friend that studied design in Paris-now that girl can sew!
I’m thinking of buying enough elastic to fit around her waste and just tieing long pieces of tulle to that. The wings are another issue all together. In first grade she made her own costume, a dalmation. Very easy and cute: white sweats, black felt cut into shapes and a hot glue gun.
Oh, how’s your oldest in school? I think ours are the same grade. I’m curious about the school system by you. Mine changes classes this year (she has three teachers), and loves it; although it does force her to be more organized.
Karen
Yes, I think we both have 4th graders! He started “switching” in third and does the same this year. His “homeroom” teacher teaches math/science and the “switch teacher” teaches english/reading/current events. I didn’t do any of that until 7th grade (junior high), but our school system sends them to middle in 6th and so I think one of the thoughts is preparing them for switching teachers/classes/subjects throughout the day. He says he likes it. Is your daughter having a good school year so far?
I like your ideas on putting together the tulle skirt. I bet it will turn out very cute and come together easily. I did see angel wings in the Oriental Trading catalog that came yesterday, but of course they were white. How cute that she has made her own costume…might make a good tutorial on your blog (if it’s not there already).
Have a good weekend – Allison