Fig Prosciutto Salad w/Goat Cheese & Spinach

Before I embrace all that Fall has to offer (Pumpkin, Pears, Apples, & Gourds), I’m on one last fig kick.  I can’t help myself–figs are so beautiful, tasty, and go with anything.  When I cut into a fig and see its bright red and yellow colors, I think, “gosh, that would go good on…” and the list of tapas, salads, and desserts flood my brain.In fact, readers may have recognized my recent obsession with figs here and here.  (Yes, that includes everything from fig tarts to fig preserves and for tomorrow’s post, fig oatmeal!) See? Figs truly go well with or on anything!

For my last tribute to my figgy friends, I have prepared them this local fruit the way they were always meant to be served–bedded at room temperature with classic Italian cured ham Prosciutto and spinach greens.  The dish offers an homage to classic antipasti menus everywhere with an elegant simplicity sure to please the most finicky dinner guest.

Fig Prosciutto Salad w/Goat Cheese & Spinach

This recipe is a Brigman take on an antipasti classic.  Ever since my last visit to Maine, I’ve been carrying around a cheap hardcopy cookbook titled Antipasti.  It cost $5, cannot be found anywhere, and only has about 20 recipes.  The reason I bought the book? A version of this antipasti graced the cover.  I had to have it!

Ingredients:

* 5 figs, quartered

* 3 strips Prosciutto, cut into slices

* 1 ounce goat cheese, broken into pieces

* 1 large handful spinach

1.) Wash ingredients and prep: quarter figs, slice prosciutto, and break up goat cheese.

2.) Plate salad: in a circular round, plate the proscuitto so that you have a border for your spinach.  Fill in the center with a handful or fresh spinach and top with quartered figs and goat cheese.

Enjoy! Makes 1 serving.

–Helana Brigman