BY CASSANDRA HAMMERSTONE
July 2024
Despite figs traveling from California (and sometimes Texas and Florida) to grocery stores nationwide, many people only know them as dried or preserved. They find it odd that I grew up picking figs from my grandfather’s garden. To this day, I’m impressed that his old-world farming skills and stubborn determination encouraged a fig tree to thrive through decades of New England winters, but it's why I know the delight of a fresh fig plucked from the tree, purple and bursting with sticky, milky sugar.
Figs have two harvests: a small crop in early summer and a much larger crop in autumn. There’s a small farm nearby that announced their summer figs were beginning to come in, and anyone willing to brave the wasps and Florida heat could pick them. Without a second thought, I hiked past the waning blackberry and blueberry bushes, focused solely on the fig trees on the horizon and returned gleeful, with two pints of figs and a sunburn I wasn’t quite prepared for.
Unless you’re making fig preserves, you really don’t have to do much to them. Add them to salads, top yogurt with fresh figs and honey, bake them into a upside down cake or buckle, or make this sweet and savory puff pastry tart, with caramelized shallots and any cheese you like.
Caramelizing shallots takes much less time than caramelizing onions. In ten minutes, you’ll have soft, translucent, sweet and jammy shallots, enhanced by a bit of balsamic vinegar and honey. Start them on medium heat with butter and pinch of salt. Stir every few minutes until the shallots become soft, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add in a little extra butter if the pan begins to look dry, and throw in a few sprigs of fresh thyme.
Remove the shallots from the heat, remove the thyme stems and deglaze the pan with balsamic vinegar, scraping up all the brown bits. Stir in a teaspoon of honey and set aside.
Unfold a sheet of pre-made puff pastry and place it on a prepared baking sheet. Score the pastry along each side, about one inch from the edge, being careful not to cut all the way through. Spoon the onions onto the pastry and spread in an even layer, all the way to the scored edge. Top with figs, cut side up, and bake for fifteen minutes at 425°, or until the pastry is puffed and golden brown.
Top with chopped Marcona almonds any crumbled cheese you like. I’ve used my favorite blue cheese, Bayley Hazen Blue from Jasper Hill Farm. It’s rich, creamy and tangy, but without any of the bite you might associate with a blue cheese, so it doesn’t overpower the delicate figs and sweet shallots. You may be able to find it the cheese case of a grocery store near you, but if not, you can order it here at these unsponsored links to Saxelby’s and direct from Jasper Hill Farm. Your favorite blue cheese, goat cheese or spoonfuls of ripe and runny brie or camembert would all be delicious alternatives.
FIG and caramelized Shallot Tart
Season: Summer, Autumn
Serves four to six
ingredients
1 sheet pre-made puff pastry, thawed
4 large shallots, sliced (about two cups)
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
1 tsp honey
4 sprigs fresh thyme
8 to 12 figs (more if you choose a smaller variety), halved
3 oz. blue cheese or goat cheese, crumbled
2 tbsp Marcona almonds, chopped
PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 425° degrees
Unfold a thawed sheet of pre-made puff pastry and set it on a prepared baking sheet. Score the pastry along each side, about one inch from each edge. Set aside.
Melt the butter in a medium sauté pan or skillet over medium high heat. Add the shallots, thyme sprigs and a pinch of salt. Cook the shallots, stirring regularly, until they are soft and caramelized, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove the onions from the heat and stir in the Balsamic vinegar, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the honey and season to taste.
Spoon the onions over the puff pastry and spread evenly, keeping the onions inside the scored edges. Lay the figs cut-side up over the onions.
Bake the tart for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crust is puffed and golden.
Top with crumbled cheese, almonds, fresh thyme leaves and serve warm or at room temperature.
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