This is an exciting week for me! I’m doing some recipe testing. Yes, that sounds exactly like it is — we test recipes developed by trained chefs (or home economists) to make sure the instructions work, the tastes work and it’s basically fool proof. It’s another skill I want on my resumé and through some lovely and generous connections in the biz, I was hired for this job! How cool is that? I cook, I love to cook, and now I get paid to cook!!! I’m really over the top on this one. Thank you lucky stars!
The holiday season is upon us and like you, I am on the lookout for some very tasty and elegant hors d’œuvres to serve at get-togethers. I posted photos of this deliciously easy hors d’œuvres in 2009 but I thought it was lovely enough to post again. The first time I saw this was on Food Network Canada but I can’t recall the chef or the name of the show (a search turned up neither). The recipe, which really isn’t a recipe, is so easy and so incredibly tasty you and your guests will wonder how you lived without this incredible treat. I know figs can be expensive this time of year in North America, but it’s well worth it; it’s an incredible combo of salty, sweet, tangy, savoury, chewy and creamy all in one.
Fresh Figs with Goats Cheese, Proscuitto and Arugula
Ingredients:
1 large fig will make 4-6 pieces, so count on 1 fig per person. Serves 4
- 1 large fig, per person
- 1 tbsp goats cheese, at room temperature
- 4-6 stems of beautiful specimens of baby arugula
- 1 slice of prosciutto, sliced into 4 (1 1/2 slices of prosciutto, sliced into 6)
Directions:
- Gently clean the figs and slice into 4 or 6 portions (this will depend entirely on the girth of your figs, remember you want them one-bite sized).
- Gently spread a thinnish layer of goats cheese over each slice of the prosciutto (that has been sliced into portions already(
- Add one beautiful, fresh stem of baby arugula to one end of the goat cheese covered slice of prosciutto, then add a fig wedge and begin to roll up.
- Present on a platter or store in an air tight container until ready to serve. I would let them get to room temperature for serving as the goats cheese and figs will be MUCH tastier.
- Watch them vanish like magic.
[…] neighbourhood have fresh figs and they don’t cost and arm and a leg! I love to buy them for this little hors d’œuvres but even when I make a bunch, I have leftover figs! I served the tasty […]
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Hi Eva, I tried dropping you a note from my phone earlier today but I’m not sure it worked… just wanted to let you know that I’ve picked up the ingredients for this delightful appetizer! Can’t wait to try… I think I will serve them before our cheese fondue tomorrow eve – xo
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Thanks Kelly, for some reason the comment went into moderation, but I’ve released it. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.
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Just picked up the ingredients for these lovelies! Can hardly wait. Hope you get your power back soon Eva! Thinking of you.
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Hi Kelly, I am so pleased that you liked that post so much that you are serving it! Hope you have a very merry christmas and a very happy new year.
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These are some of my favorite flavors – figs, proscuitto and goat cheese. Add a little honey and I’d be in heaven!!! I love how you’ve presented these too. They look so classy Eva!
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This is fantastic looking. Best presentation of this I’ve seen. And I have studied a lot of figs and prosciutto in my time. Kind of a scholar!
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I am indeed very flattered by your lovely compliment Greg, thank you kindly.
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Wow…you can’t find better appetizers than these 🙂
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It sounds like you’ve landed yourself a fantastic position, Eva. I’m so happy for you! I won’t be mentioning this to any of my tasters. I don’t want them to know that there are those who are actually being paid to taste dishes.
I’ve served this appetizer, or a close relative, but never did mine look so polished. Your dishes always have “that” look about them and I’m sure it’s not lost on your dinner guests. It’s nice to be seated at a table and see that such obvious care has been taken with each dish.
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These would be a wonderful Christmas appetizer, I love figs! Congratulations on all your newest foodie endeavors!! A magazine photo shoot and now a food recipe tester! What an exciting addition to your beautiful blog! I see you have lots of snow like us.. and the cold temperatures. When it was like that here, I could shop any day with no problem because everyone stayed in. Today a chinook wind has blown in, temperatures are warm and everyone is shopping! *sigh.. at least I’m almost done! xx
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Thanks so much Barbara, I was actually thinking of you when we got the snow last weekend and earlier this week. I’m really enjoying my new line of work, I just hope I can keep busy at it to make a living!
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These appetizers do sound delightful Eva — I love each of the elements individually and can well imagine the magic of them all coming together at once :). Very pretty styling too. I’m very tempted by these… may have to go out on a fig hunt for our Christmas menu…How much fun is food tasting?! WOW. Literally everyone’s (well, every food blogger’s) dream job!!
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Hi Kelly, the recipe testing really keeps me on my toes as I have to diligently pay attention to the recipe details, but it’s a lot of fun.
I hope your family enjoys these hors d’œuvres, my peeps love them. I bet you could even have a fig tree, I have one that’s resting in the garage all wrapped up. I had three figs this year that the birds ate before I could get to them :(.
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Hi Eva – I wonder, how common is the action of recipe testing? Do you know if all recipe books which go through big publishing houses are tested like this? I only ask because I know some people who have some real problems with certain books. They can try numerous things from, say, one specific book, and nothing seems to work out.
It must be a great thing to do, and very important too. There’s nothing worse than following a recipe and have it turn into a disaster on wheels through no fault of your own!
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Hi Charles, I suspect recipe testing for cookbooks is not as common as recipe development for a client; cook books are usually very low budget. In general I would stick to more well known authors as they’ve likely made the recipe more than once. I have an Indian cook book that has lovely photos but every recipe I’ve made from it is AWFUL! Really bad.
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Love the presentation of these figs! Looks and sounds delicious!
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Thank you kindly Amber.
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Eva, now it sounds like paradise! Recipe tester??? My dream job I think! The figs look marvellous. Elegant and so juicy! I think I have already had fresh figs on goat cheese toast and loved them so this appetiser must be excellent.
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Thank you kindly Sissi, doing the recipe testing has made me be very deliberate and pay attention to all the recipe details. I’m usually a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants cook so it’s very good discipline.
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Judy, my favourite flavours! So festive too!
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Thanks Lizzy, was this meant for me?
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How fantastic to have a job where you get to do what you love! I love this really pretty appetiser and I can tell this would be a flavour sensation. You have presented it so beautifully too xx
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Hi Charlie, thank you for your kind words, I really appreciate them. I wonder if you can get fresh figs in Australia? I suspect your climate is temperate enough to have a fig tree in the garden.
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Gas for cars, that’s a bad typo, sorry!
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Corrected! 🙂
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I’ve never actually eaten these like this. I usually stick them in a moderate oven for 15mins. Cheese melts, ham goes crispy. Think its 2009 since I last had them. I believed £2 for 4 was expensive, I thought everything in North America was cheap. Just gas for cars I guess.
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Hi David, it’s all relative isn’t it? I like the idea of warming them up, the crispy bacon and sweet warm figs sounds wonderful on such a snowy day.
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That is such a cool job (one that I would thoroughly enjoy) I am really happy for you, will it last a while?
A tasty and elegant hors d’œuvres for sure unfortunately fresh figs are not available this time of year where I live.
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Thanks Norma, the job is freelance so it’s sporadic, but I’m hoping to get several clients and that way it will fill in the time. I’m also thinking about doing some baking once per week for a retirement residence close by; baking on this scale is not something I’ve done before but it sounds rather interesting and still gives me 4 days a week to do food styling and recipe testing.
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I think it is great that you are getting into varied food related areas giving you an opportunity to not only expand your knowledge and make connections but more importantly discover which areas you want to stay away from and which area you are passionate about and want to pursue.
That retirement residence is fortunate to have you. I am sure you will do a splendid job. How many will you be baking for?
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Hi Norma, I’m still flip flopping—lots of questions that need answers. But we’ll see. Numbers are 20-60 at one sitting.
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So very elegant and delicious Eva! And I was just thinking that Australia is about to get into fig season so they must be hard to find here in Canada! 🙂
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Thank you so much Lorraine, the figs usually come from Turkey and although they are sometimes difficult to find they are terribly expensive ($2-3 EACH)! I hope you try this appetizer, you will LOVE it.
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They look elegant and the salty, sweet, creamy, crunchy combo sounds like a winner.
Congrats on doing something you enjoy so much.
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Thank you kindly Maria, I’m very fortunate to have found something I can relatively easily get into.
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They would absolutely vanish like magic around here. So pretty! Am glad you’re having such a good time working…sounds like fun!
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Thank you very much Betsy, there is quite a bit of variety to every job so it’ll keep me on my toes for sure. On Tuesday and Wednesday I was east of Toronto recipe testing and next week I’ll be prepping the same recipes and making them for a client tasting.
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Beautiful and tasty! Really, a perfect appetizer for any gathering.
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Thank so much Judy.
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You keep this up and you’re going to be on TV ! 🙂 I think this appetizer looks very swish indeed.
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Thank you so much Maureen, but I’m afraid I’m not really that type of person — I would be very self conscious!
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What a perfect party appetizer! Very elegant presentation, Eva.
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Thank you kindly Maria.
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