In the spring I went on a tour of beautiful Hortulus Farm in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. There were so many flowering trees and beautiful gardens to see. At the end I picked up two rosemary plants in their garden shop. I planted them in the ground in the front of our home and pretty much ignored them for the summer. It turns out that it was the perfect approach as Mother Nature took care of them. The ‘tall’ plant grew bigger than any rosemary plant I’ve ever had. The ‘short’ grew as it should close to the ground. Needless to say, I’m using a lot of rosemary in recipes right now. I’m hopeful that I might be able to cover these plants in the winter so they come back next year. 

Finely minced rosemary pairs well with chopped dry figs in this goat cheese (or chèvre) spread. I used black mission figs but any dried fig will do. It takes a bit of time to chop them but it’s worth it. Mix the rosemary and figs with goat cheese, cream cheese and toasted walnuts. Using cream cheese makes the spread more creamy rather than crumbly. I recommend making it a few hours (or the day before) in advance so the flavors can meld. Follow the ‘one hour cheese rule’ and take it out an hour before serving so it can reach room temperature. It not only spreads more easily but also tastes better. I served this with slices of baguette. 

This spread has a bit of sweet (figs) and savory (goat cheese and rosemary). It makes a great gluten-free/wheat-free addition to a fall or holiday meal.

Fig-Rosemary-Goat Cheese Spread

 

Fig-Rosemary-Goat Cheese Spread
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Recipe type: Appetizer
Author:
Serves: 1-1/2 cups
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup chopped dry mission figs (or any dried figs)
  • 4 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
  • 2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
  • ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt (such as Maldon)
  • 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts, toasted and divided
  • Serve with baguette slices and/or crackers
Instructions
  1. If your figs are soft, you can cut them immediately. If they need to be rehydrated, chop them and pour boiling water over them in a small bowl to cover. Let stand for 15 minutes. Drain well and pat dry.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix goat cheese and cream cheese together with a fork.
  3. Add honey, rosemary and sea salt and mix well.
  4. Add figs and 2 tablespoons walnuts and mix well.
  5. Transfer spread to a serving dish and sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon of walnuts on top.
  6. Refrigerate for about four hours and up to 24 hours. Remove from refrigerator 1 hour before serving to reach room temperature.
  7. Serve with baguette slices and/or crackers.
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