The black mission fig tree is one of my favorites in the garden and this fall it is bearing a bountiful harvest … luckily my family loves figs! It’s adjacent to the vegetable garden and the kids and I always snack on them while we are picking our dinner selection. It is a race to collect the figs before the birds get to them and often our puppy Penny will feast on those that drop to the ground. If you are entertaining this fall and happen to be lucky enough to get your hands on some fresh figs, here is the best and easiest appetizer.

Crostini of d’Affinois and Drunken Figs

Serves 6

½ of a baguette or flat bread crackers

olive oil

8 figs

1/2 lb slice of d’affinois

2 tablespoons Sherry (stock item in my pantry- I buy Oloroso)

2 tablespoons Sauvignon Blanc

fresh mint

pre-heat oven: 425 degrees

Remove d’Affinois from refrigerator.

 

Using a little more than half of a baguette, thinly slice 12 – 14 pieces of bread (you can usually get about 20 slices of bread from one baguette). Brush the bread pieces with olive oil and lightly salt. Cook until golden brown about 10-12 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Cut the stem and neck portion of the fig off and slice the remaining figs in rounds and place on a baking rack. In a small bowl, combine Sherry and Sauvignon Blanc and brush onto fig slices. Spread the cheese on the bread pieces and place the drunken/basted fig rounds on top. Place the crostinis on a pretty platter. Julienne a few mint leaves and sprinkle on top and serve.

A note about formage d’Affinois: After the Saturday farmers market I usually stroll up to C’est Cheese. Kathryn carries d’Affinois made by Guilloteau out of the Rhone-Alps region. This particular one is a pasteurized cows milk cheese. It’s a great go to option for a creamy cheese on a platter or smothered on a piece of crusty bread for an afternoon snack.