Lavender Roasted Backyard Figs

This recipe was developed to use on a salad with soft goat cheese and toasted sliced almonds over arugula dressed with lavender vinaigrette (recipe included), preserving the structure of the figs. A softer roast would yield a fantastic fruit that would melt into a piece of bread with a great brie or creamy bleu, or as a component in a grilled Havarti and Granny Smith sandwich. Clearly, we can’t go wrong roasting figs… no matter the texture, there’s always something great to do with them.

The lavender infused honey-balsamic reduction was another revelation! It’s the kind of stuff I lie in bed thinking about at night, mentally combining with other foods. Blended with garlic confit? Oh yeah. A gin-forward cocktail? I’m there. Spooned over very good vanilla ice cream? Pass the spoon, baby.

For this recipe, note that you will need to prepare the honey-lavender dressing for the figs at least 2 hours (or the night before) before roasting the figs.

1. 1. For the lavender vinaigrette: Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until emulsified.

2. For the lavender roasted figs: At least 2 hours before roasting the figs, or the night before, shake honey, vinegar, lavender, and salt together in a small jar and set aside to allow the flavors to meld.

3. Preheat oven to 177°C (350°F). Lightly spray a baking dish with olive oil and arrange figs inside. Drizzle the lavender mixture over the figs, trying to hit each one.

4. Roast until the figs just relax, but are not mushy, about 12 minutes. While the figs are warm, gently scrape the lavender buds off the fruit, to avoid the potentially soapy taste of buds eaten whole. The figs will have a great lavender note, even without the buds.

5. Carefully transfer the figs to a plate and strain the buds from the honey-balsamic reduction that remains in the baking dish. Drizzle a little of the reduction onto the figs, if you’d like, and reserve the rest for another purpose.