Smashed Figs with Sesame and Honey #SundayFunday

This week I am hosting the Sunday Funday writers. I invited them: "September is National Honey Month. Share a favorite recipe that uses honey. It can be a sweet, a savory, or even a beverage." Here we go...

Oh, Honey! Honey!

• Baked Brie With Honey by Mayuri's Jikoni

• Honey Almond Milk Iced Latte by Amy's Cooking Adventures

• Oaty Honey Cookies by Food Lust People Love

• Peach Bruschetta with Hot Honey by A Day in the Life on the Farm

• Smashed Figs with Sesame and Honey by Culinary Cam (you're here)

• Winter Bahar by Sneha's Recipe

Smashed Figs with Sesame and Honey

Like last week's recipes - Insalata di Pomodori - this was inspired by the q.b. Cucina cookbook club that I just joined. We are currently cooking through Via Carota by Jody Williams and Rita Sodi with Anna Kovel (Amazon affiliate link). It's organized by season which I adore. This was also in the Summer section.

This isn't really a recipe since there are no measurements. It's one of those that you just feel when it's right. It's the essence of quanto basta, a term that translates literally to 'how much is enough.' q.b. Cucina uses it to mean 'as much as needed.'

Ingredients

• ripe figs

• olive oil

• honey

• aged balsamic vinegar

• sea salt

• sesame seeds

Procedure

Use a knife to remove the hard part of the stem. Gently tear the fig in half with your fingers; I find the uneven surface of the fig allows the honey, olive oil, and vinegar to stick or pool more easily. Place the figs, torn-side up, on a serving platter or plate. Drizzle with olive oil, honey, and vinegar. Sprinkle with sea salt and sesame seeds.

Quanto Basta!

A Honey Feature

Back in 2013, I had a piece published in Edible Monterey Bay entitled "Bee Yourself: Honey, Anarchy, and Saving the World, One Hive at a Time." You can read it in their archives or on my writing blog. And it was also my first cover!

In preparation for the article, we did a local honey tasting. These were the results. So, if you can get your hands on any of these jars...enjoy!

• Sweetwater Farms' (Big Sur) Lavender Honey = 7 points

• Meek's Honey (Soquel) Wildflower Honey = 7 point

• Gerard'Z Honeybees Orange Blossom = 3 points

• Felix's Honey (Watsonville) Blueberry Honey = 3 points

• Gerard'Z Honeybees Black Sage = 2 points

• Gipson's Golden (Santa Rosa) Buckwheat Honey = 1 point

• Aptos Apiary's Eucalyptus Blackberry = 1 point

• All the rest got zeros.

Other Honey Recipes

Besides just drizzling it over fruits or cheese, here are a few ways in which I have used honey. Strawberry-Honey Vinaigrette, Salted Honeycomb Shortbread, Semifreddo al Miele, and Snowberry Torrone,

The group will return next week to share recipes made with beer. Stay tuned!