Fig & Eggplant Appetizer (Capponata) with a Bite

I get bored easily. That's why a table full of appetizers, or small plate dining, or Tapas is my idea of a fun meal. Just about the time I'm full of one taste, there is another to try. Love it! (Fig & Eggplant Capponata with a Bite)

I make a lot of appetizers for catering parties AND in my home life. When I find a great dip/spread/tapanade/capponata/topping that also freezes well for serving later, I just have to share it with you guys.

Capponata is usually an eggplant dish, often served with fish. As with a lot of appetizers, we have adapted and generalized beautiful names like "capponata/caponata". Now, it often means anything with eggplant or aubergines. Tapanade is made with olives, but often you will find recipes using this word for any topping that is tangy or contains olive seasoning. I'm loving the figs this year and they seem to be hanging around a little longer, and I'm always looking for more ways to incorporate eggplant. Funny, but I used to think I hated eggplant. If you're that way, too - you may like this capponata, anyway. The figs balance out the earthy roasted eggplant flavor with just the right amount of sweet. Then, just as you think you know what it all tastes like, a little spicy hot rises up to surprise you. The pine nuts add a little needed crunch to the spreadable topping, the lemon juice adds a tiny tart tingle and served on a petite salted cracker completes the full circle for your taste buds. When I make this, I serve half for now and freeze half in a tub for later. It reheats well without a loss of flavors.

I hope your summer has lingering good things happening for you. Why not call up a few friends, invite them over on a weekend afternoon and set out a table of appetizers (like this Fig & Eggplant Capponata) to nibble on while you catch up?

RECIPE: Fig & Eggplant Capponata with a Bite~

1 eggplant
1/4 onion minced
2 garlic cloves minced
6-8 fresh figs chopped (use dried figs* if out of season)
Juice from 1 lemon
3 Tbls. Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Tbls. brown sugar
pinch of salt
4 Tbls of pine nuts (toasted)
1/2 tsp. dried red pepper flakes
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish and fresh finish

1) Slice the eggplant in half, drizzle with olive oil and roast in 350F oven (cut side down) for about 20-25 minutes until tender. Remove from the oven and cool to the touch. Cut into small cubes.

2) In a skillet drizzled with olive oil, add the onions and garlic - cook on med. heat until tender (about 5 mins). Add the figs, vinegar, lemon juice, brown sugar, salt and red pepper flakes. *(If using dried figs, add 1 cup of water.) Cook on Med, stirring til tender (about 5 - 8 minutes), then add eggplant and continue cooking/stirring for about 10 minutes. If the capponata gets too dry, add a little water.

3) Remove from the heat and stir in the toasted pine nuts and garnish with parsley.

Appetizer Prosciutto Cups with Goat Cheese and Fig - Simple Saturday

Question: Need an elegant little appetizer?
Answer: Prosciutto cups with Goat Cheese Whip, Dried Mission Fig and a sprig of Arugula.

Question: Need a fast, simple, throw it together during half-time, taste touch down?
Answer: See Answer Above.

Prosciutto Cups with Goat Cheese Whip, Dried Mission Fig, & Arugula

Not only are these easy and fast, you can bake the cups a day ahead, whip up the goat cheese a day ahead and cut up the dried figs ahead of time, too.

In one bite, you get salty-sweet-crispy-smooth, and healthy greens. I've served these at tray passed Hollywood cocktail parties (while agents and execs played mind games with each other) and on paper plates beside chips and dip on the coffee table (while lounge chair athletes pretended to play while yelling at televised ball games.) When it tastes good and looks good too...it's a winner no matter what the game.

Recipe: Prosciutto Cups w/ Goat Cheese Whip, Dried Mission Fig & Arugula
(makes a dozen)

6 sheets of Italian Prosciutto
4 oz. Goat cheese
3 oz. Heavy whipping cream
1 Tbls. Seasoning (I used minced fresh thyme, but you could use your preference or none)
salt/pepper to taste
6 Dried Figs (I used Mission, you may also try dates)
Small bunch of baby Arugula

1) Cut each slice of Prosciutto in half, and lay each half slice inside a mini-muffin tin, over-lapping the sides as it circles around.

2) Bake in a preheated 375 oven for about 8-10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for a moment. Place each cup on a paper towel to drain. Hold for filling, or refrigerate til next day. Bring to room temp. before filling and serving.

3) In a bowl, whip together the goat cheese, cream and seasonings. Place in a pastry bag with open tip and pipe whipped goat cheese into each prosciutto cup.

4) Cut the dried figs into grape-size bites and place one on the top of each filled prosciutto cup.

5) Garnish with a sprig of Arugula just before serving.

These can be filled with a variety of options: Ricotta Salada and dried apricots, Scrambled egg custard and a sprig of dill, etc...

Let me know what you experiment with and I'll include it in this posting. Buon Appetito and Go Team!

FRIED GREEN FIGS (or the Tweet that turned into Figs)

I was browsing over Twitter and saw this tweet:

The fig tree in our yard is dropping so much fruit its like carnage out there! 9:24 AM

By noon and a couple tweets back and forth, I had claimed my chance to visit the beautiful 20 ft. tree of Dana from BrokeAssBride.com and gather a basketful of Kadota Figs. In my excitement, I took a few that were not quite ready for jam making, so I cooked up a batch of FRIED GREEN FIGS.

FRIED GREEN FIGS

w/ Wild Arugula, Feta and Honey Vinaigrette

I've been a long-time lover of figs; my grandma's yard had an easy 5 ft. "grab-a-snack" tree right at her front door. And by the age of 8 (due to my Southern Baptist upbringing) I had already sewn play-clothes from the fig leaves (ala the guilt-ridden Adam and Eve from the Bible.) Don't try it; fig leaves dry so quickly and your green twirly dress turns to dust.Dana's tree was heavy with figs, syrup, sunshine and...GIANT June Bugs that were not happy to share, and loved dive-buzzing at my head. And even though this picture is not great, I had to include my iPhone capture of a Monarch butterfly in flight.

Most of the figs I picked were used
to make Fig & Fennel Jam...








... and Fig/Fennel Fruit Paste to serve
on a cheese platter.

But, keeping with my southern touch, I used the green figs like I do green tomatoes and it worked out fabulously.






First I soaked the green slices in heavy cream instead of the egg and milk combo. Then, I very lightly dredged the slices in a mixture of seasoned flour.

After shaking them off, I placed them in a pan with a few tablespoons of oil, heated on med/high, and fried them for just a couple minutes on each side.

I served the petite Fried Green Figs with a Wild Arugula and Feta Cheese salad, drizzled with Honey Vinaigrette.Figs are great for all ages because of their high concentration of vitamins - and the seeds help in digestion. They're one of the first fruits to be dried and stored and have been cultivated since around 5,000 BC. They are the most mentioned fruit in the Bible, loved by Cleopatra, talked about by Mohammad and mentioned in Homer's Iliad.

As promised, I will be giving Dana @brokeassbride a jar of Fig & Fennel Jam in exchange for her generous tweet that turned into a "Fico Fantastico".


Here's a little diddy about June Bugs for your enjoyment: