So Fig-A-Licious!
I love a delicious and easy tart. That seems like a oxymoron (I love when I have an excuse to use oxymoron in a sentence). Believe me, I have no problem spending a long time perfecting a delicious and beautiful dish, no lie. However, I don’t always have the kind of determination it takes to get too involved in fussy baking. This is your go to recipe if you’re looking for the oohs and ahhs but don’t feel like following precise baking techniques. This recipe takes a little bit of effort for sure, but far less than you’d expect. The key reason? This easy-as-pie-tart olive oil pasty recipe. Try this Savory Fig Tart with Herbs and Goat Cheese and you’ll see what I’m talking about.
When you want to serve something that’s sure to be different than the usual, here’s your recipe. This is a great tart to serve as a side course for a brunch or lunch. It would be great served with a light salad for lunch, or an especially surprising and wonderful addition to a cheese plate or appetizer. You could also go oh-so-very-European and serve this as a savory cheese course following dinner, instead of a sweet dessert. No matter when you choose to enjoy this, there is no doubt, it’s absolutely perfect served with a nice glass of wine. The creamy and slightly sweet, cheesy and herbal filling is sinfully delicious. The slightly salty, herb and crispy olive oil crust is addicting. A perfect late summer into autumn recipe.
Figtastic
Figs are not without controversy. You either love them or you hate them. I fall into the first category, for sure. My Black Mission Fig tree is gifting me plenty this year. We also have a White Fig tree which is a behemoth that cannot be controlled. The taste and look of each is quite different. By far, the Mission Figs are the most beautiful so for this type of a tart that features them so nicely, it’s my favorite. I use the white figs mostly for jams and other dishes but any kind of fig will do for this recipe too.
Figs can be very simply prepared and served beautifully. This Savory Fig Tart is taken from one of my favorite ways to serve figs. That is to split them carefully into 4 sections, but just so that the fig is open, not separated into sections. Top with a little goat cheese and drizzle with honey and then a good grating of fresh black pepper. I Put them into the broiler for a minute and wha-lah! Fabulousness has occurred. A perfectly beautiful and delicious appetizers. This tart takes that concept to the next level.
For other fig dishes, here are a few links to some of my favorite recipes:
Upside Down Caramelized Fig Cake https://wp.me/p9KEfL-2CR
Upside Down Caramelized Fig Cake: 
Flatbread with Figs and Goat Cheese :https://wp.me/p9KEfL-13V
Easy Olive Oil Tart Dough
This recipe will make up to a 10 inch tart. The crust is crispy and delicious but, it does lose its crispness when refrigerated. This dish is best served fresh and not as good as a left-over. Make it the day you plan to serve it or replace the crust with a regular all butter tart crust. Here’s a link to a recipe for my peach and goat cheese tart, the crust will work perfectly instead of the olive oil crust: https://wp.me/p9KEfL-2u5
Preheat oven to 350°
Prepare your 10 inch tart pan with removable bottom, by spraying lightly with a non-stick cooking spray, set aside.
Into a mixing bowl, add 1 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour with 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt and 1 teaspoon of very finely chopped rosemary or thyme leaves or combination of both. Mix to combine. Next, add 1/4 cup of olive oil. Slowly add ice water. You will want to start with about 3 tablespoons, adding more and mixing with a fork until the dough just comes together to form a ball, remove from the bowl and set onto a lightly floured work surface.
Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to fit the size of your tart pan. Don’t over work the dough, just get it to the right shape without too much working of the dough.
Gently pick up the dough and lay it over the tart pan. Lightly push into the pan, then cut to remove any excess and to trim the sides. Any tears, just patch as I show below.
Prick the dough (dock) all over with a fork, then put into the oven and bake for 15 minutes until it is lightly golden brown.
Savory Fig Tar with Herbs and Goat Cheese
Clean the figs and cut them in half, set aside.
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a small saute pan over medium low heat. Add 1 large minced shallot and let it cook a few minutes until translucent. Top with a pinch of salt and a bit of black pepper. Remove from the heat. Into the pan, add 1 teaspoon each of very finely minced fresh rosemary, parsley and chopped thyme, leaves only. Mix to combine and let it sit to cool and for the flavors to steep together.
Into a medium sized bowl, add 8 ounces of softened goat cheese, 1 cup cream or yogurt, 1 large egg. Add the cooled onion and herb mixture and mix everything well. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper.
Fill the par baked tart shell with the mixture. Top with the figs.
Bake for 20-30 minutes until set.
Remove from the oven, drizzle with about 3 tablespoons of honey while the tart is still hot. Top lightly with just a bit for freshly ground pepper and a sprinkling of fresh thyme leaves, just about 1/2 teaspoon. Return to the oven for about 5 more minutes. Remove to cool.
Serve just slightly warm or at room temperature.
Enjoy!
Savory Fig Tart with Herbs and Goat Cheese Made With A Easy Olive Oil Tart Pastry
Ingredients
For the Olive Oil Tart Pastry
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- 2 teaspoons dried herbs
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- ice water (use from 3 tablespoons to 1/3 cup- per notes below)
For The Savory Fig Tart with Herbs and Goat Cheese
- 8 ounces goat cheese
- 1 cup cream, yogurt or sour cream
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon very finely minced fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon very finely chopped thyme leaves (plus extra for garnish)
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh parsley, leaves only
- 1 lb fresh Mission figs, cut in half
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
For the Olive Oil Tart Dough
- This recipe will make up to a 10 inch tart.
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Prepare your 10 inch tart pan with removable bottom, by spraying lightly with a non-stick cooking spray, set aside.
- Into a mixing bowl, add 1 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour with 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt or and 2 teaspoons of very finely chopped rosemary or thyme leaves or combination of both.
- Mix to combine.
- Add 1/4 cup of olive oil.
- Using a fork, mix to combine
- Slowly add 3 tablespoons of ice water, mixing with a fork to combine. If to dry, add a bit more water until the dough will form a ball.
- Remove from the bowl and set onto a lightly floured work surface.
- Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to fit the size of your tart pan.
- Be careful not to over work the dough, just get it to the right shape without too much working of the dough.
- Gently pick up the dough and lay it over the tart pan.
- Lightly push into the pan, then cut to remove any excess and to trim the sides. If you've made any tears, just patch with extra dough as needed.
- Prick the dough (dock) all over with a fork, then put into the oven and bake for 15 minutes until it is lightly golden brown.
For The Savory Fig Tar with Herbs and Goat Cheese
- Clean the figs and cut them in half, set aside.
- Melt the butter in a small saute pan over medium low heat.
- Add 1 large minced shallot and let it cook a few minutes until translucent.
- Top with a pinch of salt and a bit of black pepper.
- Remove from the heat.
- Into the pan, add 1 teaspoon each of very finely minced fresh rosemary, parsley and chopped thyme (leaves only)
- Mix to combine and let it sit to cool and for the flavors to steep together.
- Into a medium sized bowl, add 8 ounces of softened goat cheese with 1 cup yogurt, cream or sour cream and 1 egg.
- Add the cooled onion and herb mixture and mix everything well.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper.
- Fill the par baked tart shell with the mixture.
- Top with the figs.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes until completely set.
- Remove from the oven, drizzle with about 3 tablespoons of honey while the tart is still hot.
- Return to the oven for 5 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh thyme leaves
- Let the tart cool
- Serve just warm or at room temperature.
- Enjoy!
Karen Harris https://www.bittersaltysoursweet.com
