Figs Stuffed With Goat Cheese and Fennel Pollen
Having an abundance of honey in The Orange Bee kitchen I’m looking for ways to add it to more recipes. I don’t know that I’d call this a recipe as it’s just a little something I threw together. I was prompted to create this recipe not simply for the use of the honey but more so as I was given a tin of fennel pollen by a friend. Not quite sure how to use it at first, I googled “fennel pollen” and read up on this new to me spice. An abundance of recipes aren’t floating around in the blogosphere but I did find evidence of how it would enhance certain foods. I started to dream up ways to try it for the first time. Having fresh figs on hand from the local farmers market and some goat cheese in the frig seemed like a good place to start.
If you are unfamiliar with “fennel pollen” you can read a N.Y. Times article here, or check out this article in The Atlantic, written by Hank Shaw, or if you’d like to purchase some you can order from The Pollen Ranch.
I love the fragrance and taste of licorice and so I can honestly say that I’m lovin’ my fennel pollen. Adding the pollen bits enhanced the sweet chewiness of the figs, kicked up the tangy goat cheese and made me fall more in love with this “new” to me ingredient. Oh and let me add, the remarkably delicious honey I drizzled over it all was the perfect finish. I recommend this next time you want to serve a healthy dessert or captivating appetizer.
Enjoy!
Figs Stuffed With Goat Cheese and Fennel Pollen
Ingredients:
Fresh Figs
Honey
Goat Cheese – softened
Fennel Pollen
Wash and dry the figs. snip off the stem and slice in half. Grill figs on a grill set to medium for a few minutes until the figs begin to caramelize and soften.
In the meantime blend the softened goat cheese and fennel pollen in a small bowl. I used about a half teaspoon of fennel pollen to about 1/2 a large roll of cheese. You can add more or less depending on your taste preference.
When the figs are grilled to your liking, remove from grill. Make a small indentation in each fig using the back of a spoon or your finger. Fill each fig with the cheese mixture and drizzle with honey.
