Wednesday 24 August 2022

Fig Tart

To use up the tail end of the garden figs I made a couple of savoury tarts - one to eat and one to freeze. The fig tree produces an abundant amount of fruit each year, especially considering its humble origins. It was rescued whilst we were holidaying in the South France, a poor tiny specimen of a tree struggling hard to grow out of an old stone wall in the countryside.
I use a good quality bought shortcrust or puff pastry when making tarts - quick, easy and reliable. 
 
Pre-roast a red onion and red pepper together in rapeseed or olive oil, then sprinkle with some balsamic vinegar to help caramalise. When cool place the pepper and onions on the pastry. Next cut the figs in half placing them on top along with plenty of cubed blue cheese. I prefer the strong flavour of English Blue Stilton, but any blue cheese will suffice. Sprinkle all of this with a little more oil, a few more drops of balsamic vinegar, and some freshly ground black pepper. When cooked add your preferred herbs.           
The tart is cooked within 15 - 25mins - Fan 180℃ - Electric 200℃ or Gas mark 6 - quick, easy, and really tasty.
A similar story is also attached to this pink Oleander plant. It sits in our outside porch all year round. and is one plant that has flourished well during our very long hot summer. A small cutting, no bigger than my small finger, wrapped in damp tissue paper, came home with us from Sicily several years ago. The reason I took a cutting was simply because the flowers were an unusual very deep red and I was only familiar with Oleanders in various shades of pink and white. But, as you can see, when it grew, it reverted to type and is 'pink'. Perhaps the original red Oleander was a hybrid!!! Regardles I am happy to have it thriving here - its a source of special memories from Sicily.

20 comments:

  1. This seems like a very interesting tart, quite different from what I would have imagined. If only I had a fig tree.........

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    1. That is a shame - we had far far too many.

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  2. Your tart looks delicious and beautiful! How nice to use the bounty of your own rescued fig tree!

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    1. It has been very prolific over the years.

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  3. It never fails to amaze me that figs can be grown in England and can be delicious to boot! The fierce sun of the Mediterranean always seems like it should be the prerequisite, but there you go. This sounds like a delicious recipe - my only forays into savoury fig dishes is are nibbles: grilled with blue-cheese nibbles or wrapped in prosciutto.

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    1. I also have a very large Callistemon - bottle bush tree growing in the garden. It has survived years of British weather - snow, freezing cold etc. I was told that it would not survive, but it has now been flowering and living here for 25 years. I even have a loquat tree that I grew from a pip. Occasionally it does have some fruit but they never grow or ripen.

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  4. Replies
    1. It is very tasty especially with the stilton cheese - a quick and easy lovely summer meal.

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  5. Dear Rosemary,
    when I read "fig-tarte", I expected something sweet and sticky (though lovely) - and now I see it is a salty treat! Lecker!
    Figs in England or here in Bavaria always surprise me - I thought they needed lots of sunshine (though this year we definitely had more than enough sun).
    A cutting from oleander is a great way to propagate - I bought here an oleander, and was not amused when I found out that they mixed a pink, a white and a red variety in one pot.
    I like it simple - one colour. (and the white is more yellowish, don't like it).

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    1. We prefer to use the figs in this savoury tart although some are bottled for my husband to enjoy with his yogurt.

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  6. Hi Rosemary: I notice that John from By Stargoose and Hanglands has not posted for a whole month. I am hoping that nothing is amiss, and I am wondering if you happen to know? David

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    1. Hi David - I think that he might have taken a holiday or a break. I have just looked back to find his last comment here, and it was on the 14th August. If he is still missing in another a week I will drop him a line.

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  7. Dear Rosemary,
    This looks like a delicious way to enjoy fresh figs. Freezing one is such a great idea. Do you freeze it baked or unbaked?
    Plants as souvenirs of travel give long-lasting memories.

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    1. It is really lovely to see you here again Lorrie - I am assuming that you must now be back home following your exciting adventure.
      I freeze it after it has been baked.

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  8. Dear Rosemary, I love your rescue stories. I was given a tiny fig tree several years ago. It had no leaves.
    Every Summer I get about a dozen figs. By late Fall it has to go into my greenhouse along with my ever growing Oleander collection. Our Utah winters are too cold to leave them outside.

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    1. Dear Gina - I would be very happy to receive just a dozen figs - we have far more than we can cope with, but the birds do enjoy them too.

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