Food Editor's Notes:  I first tasted these incredible hors d'oeuvres at a dinner party that Linda and I and our husbands hosted for donors to The Second Step, a shelter in Newton for victims of domestic abuse.  Linda made these as part of our appetizer offerings and they were a major hit.  They are elegant and unusual and the different tastes and textures of the ingredients merge into a delectable bite, perfect with a glass of white wine or champagne.  They look great, too, so do make these when you want to make an impression.  But don't fret – they are as easy as can be to put together and then popped in the oven a few minutes before you want to serve them.  And the recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.  Thank you, Linda, for sharing this recipe with us!

Ingredients:
 

1 pound fresh black or green figs, approximately 16

[mixed colors will look especially beautiful!]

4 ounces Chevre (goat cheese)

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves, lightly packed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Gently rinse and dry the figs.  Cut off the stem and cut the figs in half vertically.  Place on a lightly greased baking sheet, cut side up.  Put roughly 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of Chevre on each fig half.  Don't worry about shape or appearance – the cheese can even be crumbled on top.  Drizzle the balsamic vinegar slowly over all, making sure to get some on each fig.

Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese starts to melt and the figs get softer (but not too soft!).  Check at 10 minutes, as exact time will vary based on the size and firmness of the figs and your oven.  After removing from the oven, sprinkle the chopped mint leaves over the figs.

Place on a beautiful platter and serve immediately with a glass of wine!

This makes approximately 32 individual hors d'oeuvres. 

Linda Weisberg lives in Newton and is an excellent cook.  She has lots of simple, delicious recipes and has graciously shared several of them with ShalomBoston.com.  For two great examples, see her Layered Apple Cake and Roasted Cherry Tomatoes.