Fig And Stilton Blue Cheese Squares For Anytime Recipes

FIG AND BLUE CHEESE BITES

Steps:

• Form 1/4 teaspoon of the blue cheese into a small ball; repeat with remaining cheese. Press the cheese balls into the walnuts to coat on one side. Place a cheese ball, nut side up, onto the top of each fig slice.

FIG AND BLUE CHEESE BRUSCHETTA

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the baguette slices and toast on both sides until golden and crisp, about 8 minutes. Allow to cool, then spread with a little fig spread/preserves. Top with blue cheese chunks. Sprinkle on some basil.

PROSCIUTTO WRAPPED FIGS AND BLUE CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat grill. You will need medium to high heat for grilling. The key is to crisp the prosciutto quickly and leave the blue cheese just melted with the inner part of the fig cool in temperature.
• Cut the figs in half and place a piece of blue cheese on each fig half. Wrap the prosciutto around each fig half, covering the cheese. The ends of the prosciutto should overlap.
• Grill each piece until the prosciutto begins to color and crisp, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove from grill, lightly drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season with sea salt and pepper. Serve warm.

TOMATO, FRESH FIG AND BLUE CHEESE SALAD

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar and salt. Whisk in oil.
• In a small skillet over medium-low heat, toast pine nuts, shaking the pan occasionally, until light golden, about 2 minutes.
• Spread tomato slices on a large plate. Scatter fig quarters and pine nuts over tomatoes. Sprinkle with cheese and thyme, drizzle with dressing and finish with pepper.

FIG AND BLUE CHEESE SAVOURIES

Steps:

• 1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• 2. Place the flour, butter, blue cheese, and a few grinds of black pepper in the bowl of a food processor and process until the dough just comes together and starts to form a ball.
• 3. Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times to pull it together. Then roll out to a 1/8-inch-thick circle with a floured rolling pin. Cut rounds out of the dough with a floured 1-inch round cutter and transfer to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Reroll the scraps (no more than once) and cut more rounds.
• 4. Using the back of a rounded 1/2-teaspoon measure or your knuckle, make an indentation in the center of each dough round. Spoon about 1/4 teaspoon of the fig preserves into each indentation, using your finger to push the preserves as best as possible into the indentation.
• 5. Bake the savouries until the preserves are bubbling and the pastry is light golden on the bottom, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.

FIG TART WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS, ROSEMARY AND STILTON

Steps:

• In a large skillet over low heat, melt butter with oil. Add onions, rosemary and sugar. Cook, tossing occasionally, until onions are limp and golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, scraping any browned bits from bottom of pan.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and egg until smooth. Stir in the onions. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line an 11 by 17-inch baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry to a 9 by 12-inch rectangle. Transfer to baking sheet.
• Use a fork to spread onion mixture evenly over pastry (let excess egg mixture drip back into bowl), leaving a 1-inch border. Arrange figs, cut-side up, in even rows on onion mixture. Scatter cheese and pine nuts over figs. Use a pastry brush to dab edges of tart with egg mixture. Gently fold over edges of tart to form a lip and brush with more egg mixture.
• Bake until pastry is puffed and golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve, sprinkled with rosemary needles and drizzled with honey, if desired, warm or at room temperature.

FIG & BLUE CHEESE TART

Steps:

• First make the pastry. Tip the flours into a food processor with ½ tsp salt and the diced butter. Pulse until you can't feel any lumps, then tip in the walnuts. Mix the egg yolks with 3 tbsp cold water, then dribble this into the machine while you pulse again until the pastry comes together. Tip the pastry out onto a floured surface, lightly bring it together into a ball, then roll out and line a deep 20-23cm tart tin with overhang. The pastry may crack, but just patch it back together, then cover and chill for 1 hr.
• To make the filling, melt the remaining butter in a large pan, then add the shallots and soften for 10-15 mins, until golden and squishy. Stir in the thyme for 1 min, then remove from the heat. Beat the eggs in a jug with the crème fraîche and cream. Crumble in the cheese and season with pepper and a small amount of salt.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Blind bake the pastry for 20 mins, remove the baking beans and paper, then bake for a further 15-20 mins until golden and sandy. Reduce the oven temp to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Add the cooled onions to the cream mixture and pour into the case. Sit the fig halves on top, cut side up, sprinkle with some more thyme and bake on the middle shelf for 1 hr-1hr 10 mins until the tart is browning and has a slight wobble - the cheese middle will firm up on sitting. Cool for about 15-20 mins, then remove from tin and serve with a green salad.

BAKED BLUE CHEESE WITH FIGS & WALNUTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Cut a cross in the tops of the figs nearly, but not quite, all the way down to the bottom, and pinch the bases. Sit in a baking dish or roasting tin (big enough so the figs can sit in a single layer with the whole cheese) cut-side up, but don't put the cheese in yet.
• Mix together the vinegar and wine or grape juice with some seasoning, and pour all over the figs. Scatter over the walnuts and thyme. Finally, drizzle over the honey. Bake for 15-20 mins until the figs start to become soft and sticky.
• Tuck the whole cheese in among the figs and put back in the oven for a final 5 mins. Lift the dish straight to the table and serve with lots of crusty bread to scoop up the molten cheese.

GRILLED FRESH FIGS AND BLUE CHEESE

Steps:

• Cut the figs in half lengthwise and put a tablespoon of blue cheese on top of each half. Top this mixture with a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar.
• Put figs on a warm grill and cook until the cheese melts and the figs are heated through.
• Serve and enjoy!

FRESH FIGS WITH STILTON AND WALNUTS IN A HONEY DRIZZLE DRESSING

Steps:

• Toasted Walnuts:.
• In a large, heavy frying pan, over a high heat, toast the walnuts for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove and set aside to cool.
• Honey Drizzle Dressing.
• Put the vinegar and a good pinch of salt and black pepper in a screw-top jar and shake until the salt has dissolved. Add the honey and walnut oil, then shake again to emulsify - the emulsion will hold for ten minutes or so, but give it another jiggle just before you use it to dress the salad.
• Salad:.
• Wipe the fresh figs gently, and cut them in half. Arrange them on a large platter, OR on individual plates - allowing 4 to 5 fresh figs per person, depending on the size.
• Sprinkle 1 to 1 1/2 ozs of crumbled or sliced blue cheese per person, over the top of the fresh figs.
• Scatter the chopped,toasted walnuts over the fig salad.
• Just before serving, drizzle the honey dressing over the salad, and garnish each plate with 1 - 2 fresh fig leaves if available.
• Serve with crusty bread and butter and mixed herb and salad leaves.
• Can also be served as a dessert/cheese course combined.