Fig, Goat Cheese, and Caramelized Onion Crostini
I’ve been breezing through my 30-by-30 requirement of preparing three new ingredients at home. Not only did I just try kale, I recently picked up some fresh figs. I’ve had fig sauces and glazes on meals out in restaurants but definitely had never even seen a fresh fig in person.
I had seen this appetizer in my Google Reader and immediately thought of it for a picnic dinner I was planning with Hubby. Anything with goat cheese or caramelized onions is good in my book. Put them both into one bite of something and I’m in heaven.
While the fig flavor didn’t dominate these little bites, you could still taste it. It was a great compliment to the caramelized onions and goat cheese. I highly recommend making this the next time you need an easy appetizer that looks and tastes quite impressive. Everything can be made ahead of time and then assembled just prior to serving.
One Year Ago: Blueberry Peach Muffins and Shrimp with Cilantro Pesto
Fig, Goat Cheese, and Caramelized Onion Crostini
Yield: 2
Ingredients:
baguette, sliced and toasted
2 onions worth of caramelized onions
12 fresh figs
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon of honey
1/3 cup water
Goat's cheese
Pepper, to taste
Directions:
Cut figs in half and scoop out the seeds and pulp with a spoon. In a small saucepan, add the fig seeds and pulp, balsamic vinegar, honey, 1/3 cup water, and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 5-10 minutes until thickened.
Spread fresh goat's cheese on toasts and top with freshly cracked black pepper. Spoon balsamic fig reduction over the goat cheese and top with caramelized onions. Add a little slice of fig to the top for presentation.
Recipe adapted from Lardon My French
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
These pancakes look perfect! I don’t make pancakes that often, but this mix would be an easy throw together to keep in the freezer. Yum!
Great idea to freeze the mix. I have been making our pancake batter from scratch for a while now, and it’s nearly impossible to go back to the boxed stuff! They just taste flavorless and cardboard-y. I had been reluctant to make mix ahead of time because I didn’t want it to go bad. Thanks for the idea!
What a great idea to have a homemade pancake mix on hand!
A good substitute for buttermilk – since most of us don’t keep it on hand, but do have milk in the fridge:
1 TBS white vinegar with enough milk added to make 1 cup. Allowed to sit for at least ten minutes, this mixture will clot up and mimic buttermilk sufficiently for most recipes.
Those pancakes look amazing!! Oh my goodness.
i think it is a great idea about freezing milk, too. I buy whole milk for baking only so I need to do that.
Wow. Those look so good I might have to whip some up…..like…NOW.
http://www.simplysweeter.blogspot.com
You can also use lemon juice instead of vinegar in the substitute for buttermilk provided by Nancy.
One thing to note about this recipe though. Not only is the buttermilk needed for the chemical reaction, but it also provides a great flavor to the pancakes that I don’t think you get from using the substitute. Also, buttermilk will keep for a very long time in the fridge since it’s acidic.
AB mentioned in his cookbook that there are only four thinks he will not make without buttermilk: cornbread, biscuits, waffles, and pancakes. I tend to agree with him.
What a great idea to make your own pancake mix and then when you want quick pancakes, you can have a healthy mix 🙂
Mmm, these look way better than a mix! Great tip to store the mix in the freezer too!
Yum! I love blueberry ‘anything’. Alton Brown recipes are always winners. If you’re looking for an even healthier pancake recipe, check out my ‘fluffy whole wheat pancakes’ on my blog. I mix batches of the dry ingredients and keep them in the freezer. Thanks for posting – I’m off to buy some blueberries! Oh, and I’m a new follower 🙂
These pancakes look amazing!! Bookmarked!
Hey Jen I am eating these pancakes at this very moment. They are so fluffy and filling! May I borrow this recipe for my blog and link it back to you??