Rosemary Roasted Figs with Goat Cheese

Ok I know you’re all like wtf, the starving artist is roasting figs? What’s next? Lobster? Foie gras?!?! Well let me say that I am first and foremost all about the food. Whether it’s grilled cheese made with wonder bread and kraft singles or roasting figs with rosemary, nothing is out of range for the starving artist. And come on, do you think I would really undertake much less post a pretentious and/or obnoxious recipe? Fear not, dear readers.

There are lots of fresh fruit in season right now in SoCal and it just so happened that Trader Joe’s had some lovely fresh figs on sale. When I saw them I remember attending a party a few months back that had figs roasted with honey and rosemary… an unexpected and divine combination, which you’ll recall I had in some classed up rice krispie treats at my first summer cookout last weekend. So, I decided I would just do it. I sliced all the figs (about 12) in half, tossed them in a little olive oil followed by a few tablespoons of warmed honey. A light sprinkle of salt, few grinds of black pepper, the leaves of one sprig of fresh rosemary, and into the oven they went at 400 degrees for 15 minutes until they were soft and a bit caramelized from the honey. Yum. But I didn’t stop there. While they were still warm I topped them with a dollop of goat cheese, turning them into a delightfully sweet and creamy treat. A perfect party appetizer or bite-sized dessert to eat with coffee.