Figs, a biblical fruit and the prize given to ancient Olympians for their athletic prowess, have a sweet and nutty honey taste. Blue cheese was a culinary accident that involved a drunken shepherd, a half-eaten loaf of bread hidden in a cave, and the sheep tender’s guts to eat the moldy concoction when he returned a few months later. Prosciutto de Parma is made from nothing more than a pig’s hind leg and Israeli sea salt.

cuisine American
difficulty Moderate
season Spring
serves 6

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces frozen puff pastry, thawed
  • 3 fresh figs, thinly sliced
  • 4 dried black mission figs, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup BALSAMIC FIG MOSTARDA, or 1/4 cup high quality fig jam thinned with 1 tablespoon water and 1 teaspoon aged (syrupy) balsamic vinegar
  • 3 ounces Prosciutto de Parma, very thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 ounce Point Reyes Blue Cheese, crumbled
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
  • Olive oil
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 medium scallions, thinly sliced on the bias

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Roll out the puff pastry as thinly as possible on a piece of parchment cut to fit the bottom of a HALF SHEET BAKING TRAY. Prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork taking care to prick the edges of the pastry every 1/4” (this prevents the edges from puffing up too much and disrupting the distribution of toppings), top the pastry with aluminum foil, and bake for 20 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
  3. Brush the fig mostarda (or thinned fig jam) over the baked pastry.
  4. Put the fresh and dried figs in a BOWL. Toss the garlic, salt, pepper, and rosemary in with the figs and drizzle a bit of olive oil over the bowl. Toss to evenly coat. Distribute the mixture evenly over the fig mostarda covered pastry.
  5. Drop the blue cheese crumbles evenly over the pastry. Tear the prosciutto into pieces and lay over the tart slightly folded. Drizzle the honey over the tart and sparingly finish by drizzling olive oil over the pastry.
  6. Place the tart into the oven and bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until the prosciutto is crisp and the fresh figs are caramelized.
  7.  Finish by dropping the sliced scallion over the tart. Use a pizza cutter to cut the tart into squares. Serve immediately.