Figs. I really hated them as a child. My lovely Swedish grandmother often baked fig-filled cookies that were frankly just plain icky, and as a result, I grew up with a severe dislike for figs.
I’ve been slightly more adventurous as an adult. I made a chicken dish with figs last year that I fell madly in love with. I churned up fresh fig ice cream this summer that was absolutely dreamy. And I’ve even taken to slicing fresh figs in half and popping them into my mouth, savoring the sweetness and texture that figs tend to bring.
I had just a handful of these gorgeous, delicious wonders (picked up at Specialty Produce) to create something with one recent summer eve. Since we were grilling up some other things for dinner, I decided to throw the figs on the grill too.
Drizzled with a little bit of olive oil, I grilled them just until they were soft and then slid them onto a cutting board and chopped them up. I sliced a baguette and grilled some bread slices too.
The grilled bread was topped with a spoonful of grilled, chopped figs, a sprinkle of gorgonzola and a drizzle of honey.
This turned out to be one delicious fig experiment. My 8 year old gobbled these up as eagerly as my husband and I did. The bruschetta were a nice prelude to a light dinner of grilled fish and watermelon salad. Perfect for summer.
I’m delighted that it appears my child is growing up with an appreciation for figs instead of harboring hatred for this underappreciated fruit. Perhaps one day he’ll be able to tell a story on his food blog about how his mother did fabulous things with figs. I’d sure prefer that over the alternative… a story about how I made him eat icky cookies. I guess I’ll have to try baking up some figgy cookies to see if I can shake this icky-fig-cookie-feeling once and for all.
This recipe (not icky) can be found HERE.
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Other delicious fig recipes on the blogs:
The Leftover Queen: Fig & Sage Grilled Pizza
Closet Cooking: Fig & Brie Panini w/ Prosciutto
80 Breakfasts: Fig & Honey Cookies
Eating Out Loud: Cinnamon Fig Jam
Fat Free Vegan Kitchen: Skinny Fig Bars
37 Comments
I have never actually eaten a fig before! But I do use Brown Sugar and Fig body lotion from Bath & Body:)
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I have never tried anything like this before but it looks and sounds so good I have to give it a try
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This looks absolutely divine! I have never grilled figs – although I did grill the pizza they were on, but I don’t think that counts…I am going to need to do this recipe soon! Figs are on sale around here these days!
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This is truly a mouthwatering recipe. Toasty bread, salty gorgonzola, sweet honey and figs…very happy that you came round to share in fig adoration.
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My dad loves figs, I will have to make this for him when we go home to IL for Labor Day! Thanks Lori!
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That looks wonderful! I just bought figs for the first time and didn’t even think about grilling them. What a great idea. I had a recipe that required baking them, but yeesh, I’m really trying not to use the oven these days. Thanks for the great idea.
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Oh my! Lovely! We adore fig in every form and I have yet to try grilled. Something to look forwards to, thank Lori!
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If you’re referring to those fig newton type cookies I don’t like those either. I have though never eaten figs in anything else. I’m not certain how to pick fresh ones. I’ll have to ask my produce guy. Thanks for sharing your recipe as I do think this is a good one for us to break into figs with!
~ingrid
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I never liked figs beacuse we always had dried ones, then one day I tasted a fresh one and I feel in love. Your photos are lovely!
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I love figs paired with cheese. This looks so good, and what a great idea to grill the figs!
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Lovely, lovely, lovely,..pure indulgence!!
A classic!
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I am totally crazy for figs, especially paired with a nice bleu. This looks so fantastic. Yummy!
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this looks really interesting, but why didn’t i know you could grill figs?
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My parents had two huge fig trees in the back of their property in Texas and not one of us in the family liked them, so they gave them away in huge loads to friends.
What a great idea to grill them and to combine with gorgonzola on the baguette bread!
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I just posted a fig pizza recipe on Guilty Kitchen. http://guiltykitchen.com/?p=367
Also it is the secret ingredient in this week’s Blogger Secret Ingredient Challenge.
I looooooove figs. I’m always looking for new ways to use them besides just shoving them in my mouth. So thanks!
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These are beautiful. I wish I could get fresh figs here. I share your hatred for fig cookies- horrible and awful!
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What a tasty little appetizer, I only recently learned I like fresh figs too!
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oooo…yum! I love figs, I like eating them with some ham and blue cheese…
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WOW looks so amazing.. Love figs and cannot wait to try this!
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I always avoided figs until my friend made prosciutto-wrapped figs for our girlfriends’ dinner just a week ago and then I fell in love! This recipe looks great … just need to get a gluten-free baguette for it.
Thanks for stopping by gfe today to comment on one of your ice cream recipes adapted twice over! I see some more great looking ice cream recipes here.
Thanks!
Shirley
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Exceptional!!
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I don’t yet have that appreciation for figs, but these look good!
So do you just bite into one like an apple or something or do you not eat the skin? See, I don’t even know that much. The skin looks kind of tough. My only fig experience are Newtons! But I see them at the natural foods store and am tempted to buy some! You give me incentive!
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these look fabulous – I love figs – and everything bite sized!
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You know, you’re setting the bar seriously high for your future daughter-in-law. How can any girl hope to compare to your beautiful, tasty meals?
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I just did this today – and instead of making bruschetta, I put it on a salad!!! It was wonderful!
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this looks soooo fabulous. i am also a born again fig lover. i’ll have to try this combo
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This is one of my favourite ways to eat them, honey goes so well with the figs.
Great photos!
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This looks so good! I love figs and usually wind up eating them plain before I can make anything with them
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Perhaps there’s hope for me too. I just can’t get passed my aversion to figs. Those photos sure are a tempting persuasion:)
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This looks so sophisticated but delicious. I’ve made fig bruschetta with fig spread so I can only imagine how good the fresh stuff would be!
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I did see figs in our local Italian market yesterday..I had better get down there before the word is out:D
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Wow, this looks so pretty and delicious! I love figs with gorgonzola. Glad you came around the appreciating the divine fig!
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Looks delicious, I hardly ever use figs, but this recipe had inspired me!
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Oh wow they look delicious
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Figs, gorgonzola ans honey! What an amazing combo!
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I should’ve named my blog “The Fig Freak”.
You are so lucky to live in a warm climate and get figs all year long.
We only have them in August and September and I eat them everyday!
They are never icky!
Love this way to serve them with the gorgonzola!
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Hi–featured this recipe on my blog:
http://miscelaney.com/featured-posts/4-killer-apps/
Great blog, btw!
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