Honey Figs With Goat Cheese and Pecans

Name: Honey Figs with Goat Cheese and Pecans
Yield: serves 4 to 6
Ingredients: 1 cup chopped pecans; Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 (6-ounce) log fresh goat cheese; 12 to 18 fresh figs (such as Brown Turkey, Calimyrna, or Black Mission); 3/4 cup honey (preferably tupelo, orange blossom, or sweet clover)

By Virginia Willis

December 9, 2011

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Photo by Chelsea Kyle

Honey is a fine example of the French concept of terroir—quite literally, a little bit of the earth of the surrounding area is imparted to every jar of honey. Dede loved honey and enjoyed it on his toast or biscuits. When I grew older and started to travel, I would always bring home a jar of the local honey as a gift for him. Although he has long since passed away, I have continued the tradition and always bring home a jar of local honey as a memento when I travel. The shelf in my cupboard resembles an amber rainbow. I once had a bit of pecan-crusted goat cheese left over from another recipe and served it the next day, nestled in a quartered fresh fig and drizzled with honey—that’s how this recipe was born.

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