Oh hi there again.

Hi friends and family and dearest, beloved fans.  I know you've missed me just as much as I've missed you.  And really I HAVE missed you all and this silly little blog and it's not that I haven't had things to SAY, it's just that, well, this whole internet thing takes quite a bit of time and I had plenty of other really fun things to do all summer long like swimming in rivers and going to weddings and eating my weight in the freshest salmon I've ever had. 

While waiting for my (much anticipated, surely) return, I do hope you've all been enjoying the bounty of summer's sun and have been cooking up your own storms.  Please stick with me as I slowly ease back into making this little slip of a blog a bigger part of my life, something that I attend to more than a few times a year.  To make it more manageable and fun (because that's the point, right?), I'm again breaking the rules and throwing format out the blogspot window and going rogue.  I'll write some stuff about some stuff when I feel like it.

So today I'm going to write a little about figs.  These gorgeous gems are like a very good dream.  The kind that sneaks up on you, but lingers throughout your day and leaves you with a subtle, healthy smile.  A simple fig, delicate and soft, has one of the prettiest of flavors.  It's all sorts of floral and perfume and breezy fruitiness.  They ripen quickly and must be eaten as soon as possible - do not waste a single one!  An easy task, as they are incredibly versatile.

Think savory or sweet.  Broiled, pickled, raw, grilled.  In salads or spreads, jams or breads. 

Last night I managed to convince my skeptical brother of their worth by using fresh figs as a topping on pizza.  Of course, I wasn't anticipating writing this post so I failed to document said pizza, but believe me it was quite pretty.  And simple:

CARAMELIZED ONION, FIG, AND GOAT CHEESE PIZZA

2 red onions
olive oil
splash of balsamic vinegar
a good handful of fresh, ripe figs, cut into quarters
fresh goat cheese
3 tbsp (more or less depending on your taste) fresh thyme
pizza dough
salt and pepper

Preheat your oven as high as it will go.  If you have a pizza stone, be sure to put it in the oven while preheating - you want it as hot as possible.

Slice the red onion into thin rounds.  Caramelize them in oil and balsamic vinegar until quite browned and very soft.  

Roll out your pizza dough onto parchment paper.  Top with onions and dot with figs.  Slide pizza onto your stone and bake for about 10 minutes, or until crust is cooked and starting to brown.  Remove from oven and spoon goat cheese over pizza.  Top with fresh thyme and a good sprinkling of salt and black pepper.  

Slice.  Enjoy. 

You know what else would be good?  Maybe adding some prosciutto or arugula.  Rosemary?  Variations are really quite endless when it comes to pizza, and I highly encourage you all to get a move on with your experimenting.  Fig season is very short and it would be a shame to miss it.  

I'll keep you all updated with spoonfuls of my life, and promise a few more photos in the future.