A nice recipe

The fig season is just beginning. It is always an exciting time. Once when I was cooking in Tuscany at the Linari Festival with my friend Margaret Robinson, we were at the Siena markets and found a few boxes of the first figs of the season. Our menu for the evening was immediately changed!

We bought the boxes of figs and proceeded to stuff the figs with a light goat's cheese, wrap them in prosciutto and lightly grill them, before serving on a bed of basil leaves and some balsamic glaze. We received a standing ovation from the festival goers that evening!

Now you do not have to stand and clap, but your friends and family might if you serve the following to them!

Figs stuffed with goats cheese and wrapped in prosciutto
(serves four as a starter)
You need
4 ripe figs
4 thin slices prosciutto
60 g goats cheese
a sprig of rosemary
1 tsp honey
basil leaves and balsamic glaze for garnish

Method
Slit the figs 2/3rds the way through with a sharp knife with two cuts at right angles.

Strip the leaves off the rosemary sprig and finely chop them. In a bowl, mix goats cheese, honey and chopped rosemary together. season with salt and pepper. Stuff each fig with a quarter of the goats cheese mixture. Wrap each fig in a slice of the prosciutto and secure with a tooth pick. Brush with olive oil.

Grill the figs under a griller for about 5 minutes until the cheese begins to melt and the prosciutto begins to crisp.

Serve on some basil leaves, and decorate the plate with some squirts from the balsamic glaze bottle.