Filled Figs With Mascarpone, Gorgonzola, And Pine Nuts

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Brace yourself for a peak sensual experience.  Use only the ripest,
most flavorful figs. If they're out of season,  you could substitute
another soft-fleshed ripe fruit, like pears,  nectarines, apricots, or
cherries. Mascarpone is a sublimely smooth,  slightly sweet Italian
cream cheese. If you can't get mascarpone,  substitute a high-quality
cream cheese. Also, if you can't get  gorgonzola, replace it with a
good brand of domestic blue cheese.  Filled Figs are good at room
temperature or cold. They'll keep for  several days; carefully seal up
the whole plate of figs and  refrigerate.  Yield: 12 filled fig halves
Preparation time: 10 minutes  Place the mascarpone in a small bowl and
stir to soften. (Be  patient--it's a bit sticky.) Slowly stir in the
crumbled gorgonzola  and 3 tablespoons of the toasted, cooled pine
nuts, and mix until it  is well blended. Add a dash of salt to taste,
if desired. Cut the  figs in half lengthwise, so they can retain their
lovely shape. Use  your finger or the back of a teaspoon to slightly
depress the open  center of each fig, then sprinkle the figs with a
little lemon juice.  Mound a small amount of the cheese mixture in the
middle of each open  fig, pressing down lightly. Drizzle a little honey
over the filling,  and place a few extra pine nuts decoratively on top.
Arrange the  stuffed figs on your favorite small, fancy plate, and
scatter some  lavender blossoms and/or leaves among the figs. Cover the
plate  tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until serving time.
www.molliekatzen.com 2/99  Recipe by: Adapted from "Mollie Katzen's
Vegetable Heaven."  Converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.

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