Summer's Best: Crispy Flatbread with Figs, Blue Cheese & Prosciutto

Holiday weekends call for good food, among other things.  Perfectly crisp and delicious homemade flatbread, topped with slightly warmed fresh figs, barely melted blue cheese and salty prosciutto is a party perfect bite--requiring little fuss--that should be on your menu agenda.

The freshly baked flatbread is probably the easiest homemade dough you'll ever make--and the rest is gravy from there, as you assemble the fig, cheese and prosciutto toppings.  Oh, and I can't forget that impeccable finishing touch of a drizzle of good quality honey.

With only a few days remaining in Summer, there's no time to waste in enjoying the remainder of the season's bounty.  And bringing sweet, juicy figs to the table is the perfect way to indulge!

Happy Eating!

Crispy Flatbread with Figs, Blue Cheese & Prosciutto
Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup olive oil plus more for brushing
• Flaky sea salt such as Maldon
• Fresh figs, halved
• Blue Cheese (Roquefort recommended)
• Prosciutto, thinly sliced
• Honey, for drizzling

Method:
Preheat oven to 450°F with a heavy baking sheet on rack in middle.

Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in center, then add water and oil and gradually stir into flour with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Knead dough gently on a work surface 4 or 5 times.

Divide dough into 3 pieces and roll out 1 piece (keep remaining pieces covered with plastic wrap) on a sheet of parchment paper into a 10-inch round (shape can be rustic; dough should be thin).

Lightly brush top with additional oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Slide round (still on parchment) onto preheated baking sheet and bake for about 6 minutes.  Remove from oven and top with blue cheese, prosciutto and figs. Return to oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes, until pale golden and browned in spots.

Transfer flatbread (discard parchment) to a rack to cool, then make 2 more rounds (1 at a time) on fresh parchment (do not oil or salt until just before baking).  Drizzle with honey to finish and enjoy!
Flatbread recipe adapted from Epicurious.com.


 

Link Love: A Southern Living Summer

While visiting my mom for Mother's Day weekend, I indulged in my usual habit of leafing through her decor and lifestyle magazines.  At some point along the way, I landed on a Southern Living issue that seemed to transport me right into the middle of Summer -- a scrumptious, mouth-watering, refreshing Summer to be exact.  

It's true that we eat with our eyes first. (At least that's true for me.)  And page after page presented recipes that spawned an inner excitement followed by the exclamation, "Oooh, I'm going to make that!"  It's the raw inspiration that keeps me excited about the joys of cooking and eating.

To make sure I could follow through on my new found excitement, I asked my mom if I could "borrow" her magazine and bring it home with me. :)  She graciously obliged and as the days of Summer unfold, I look forward to making many of the vibrant dishes that will make this one of the tastiest seasons yet.

While I have my mom's August 2012 hard copy edition on hand, I wanted to share the love with these links to some of my favorite recipes from that issue via SouthernLiving.com.

Here's to a Summer of Happy Eating...Southern Living Style!

Sip:
Iced Hibiscus Sweet Tea 

Nibble:
Chipotle Shrimp Cocktail 

Grilled Watermelon with Blue Cheese and Prosciutto 

Salad:
Three Sisters Salad

Main Dish:
Chicken Enchiladas 

Beef-and-Watermelon Stir-Fry

Sweets:
Icebox Butter Cookies

Mexican Chocolate Ice-cream Pie

Photo Credit

The Perfect Nibble: Blue Cheese and Walnut Crackers

Blue Cheese and Walnut Crackers

The other day I decided to shop my refrigerator.  Translation:  I did (a rather quick) once-over for inspiration and ideas for using up the myriad ingredients that were in store.  Almost instantly, my eyes fell on the blue cheese I had bought a little while back and the walnuts that I typically keep on hand.  And what happened next was pure decadence.

Marrying these two ingredients into a simple, yet indulgent, recipe was about to become a fete accompli--and the spawn of some satiating snacking.  I had been wanting to bake these crackers since I discovered the recipe way back when, and now, with the star ingredients on hand, the time had come.  In a matter of sheer minutes, I had the beautiful, sky blue, walnut-encrusted dough ready for its chill down.  And since it was a late-night start, I baked them off the next day.

I've been trying to pace myself with each salty, tangy, nutty, buttery bite.  While simple to make, these crackers carry a delicious intermix of flavors that makes each bite somehow more delectable than the last.  And to add to their grandness, I serve them with a perfectly sweet offset of fig jam.  It's the salty-sweet, crumbly-smooth, heavenly contrast that yields the perfect nibble.

Easily their own 'cheese and cracker' plate, they are a great addition for cocktail and tea parties, appetizer courses, or my own personal favorite--anytime indulgence.

Happy Eating!

Blue Cheese and Walnut Crackers

Ingredients:
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 ounces blue cheese, crumbled, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 extra-large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash
1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts

Instructions:

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and blue cheese together for 1 minute, or until smooth. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour, salt and pepper and mix until it's in large crumbles, about 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon of water and mix until combined. 

Dump the dough onto a floured board, press it into a ball, and roll into a 12-inch long log. Brush the log completely with the egg wash. Spread the walnuts in a square on a cutting board and roll the log back and forth in the walnuts, pressing lightly, and distributing them evenly on the outside of the log. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or for up to 4 days.


Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.


Cut the log 3/8ths-inch thick with a small, sharp knife and place the crackers on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 22 minutes until very lightly browned. Rotate the pan once during baking. Cool and serve at room temperature. Store in an air-tight container to maintain freshness.

Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten