It all started when The Man walked out the door for work this morning and promptly returned carrying this bag:
It appeared that the fig fairies (aka as Fred and/or Nana) had made a stop at our house earlier and left us a bag of figgy goodness from their fig tree. I am not kidding when I say that as I sat at my desk, I thought about those figs ALL DAY. I mean, you know...when I wasn't working, ahem. When it was quittin' time, I headed to the kitchen to manifest my fig-inspired daydreams.
The vanilla sugar and chevre were both gifts from Auntie and Lita for my birthday. I was so thrilled that I had them in the house...they were just what I needed for our afternoon snack. It sounds all fancy-pants, but it took 5-10 minutes and was super easy.
Fig Toasts with Chevre and Balsamic Reduction
First I preheated the oven to 375 degrees, quartered 6 pieces of bread and toasted them in the oven for about 5 minutes.
In a small saucepan, I combined 1/2 cup of a nice quality balsamic vinegar and 5 tablespoons vanilla sugar. It was a special treat to have this yummy sugar in the pantry, but brown or raw sugar would be great too if that's what you've got. I simmered this mixture on low, stirring occasionally as it reduced, removing it from the heat when it had reached the thickness that I wanted for drizzling. Once I had removed it from the heat I added 1/2 teaspoon Hinkelhatz Hot Sauce from Dai Due for a little added kick.
As the sauce was reducing I sliced up 1 1/2 cups of figs. Every time I slice figs I am amazed at the depth of color hidden inside the ordinary looking skin. They are so beautiful and exotic, they almost look other-worldy.
Next, I assembled the snacks: I spread the chevre on the toasts, added the balsamic reduction and then added the sliced figs. When I am making it for myself I also drizzle more balsamic across the top of the figs. Truthfully, I would drink it straight from the pot if I didn't think you were looking.
I hope you have a fig fairy in your life who will leave figs on your doorstep, but if not I highly encourage you to grab up some fresh figs while they are still in season.