Test Kitchen Tuesdays: Fig Tart with Rosemary and Balsamic

Tart take two...okay maybe it’s 5, or 6, or 10. I have lost count. I have been trying to write this all week, seriously, it should not be this hard. I have even considered not posting, but to improve, I must practice...so here we go...take 20...

Last Wednesday I hosted my first ever Naked Lady Party. What is that, you ask? In two words - Excitable Chaos. Picture this: 20 half naked women, an avalanche of exchanged clothing, 22 bottles of wine, one hidden whiskey bottle for yours truly, some serious eats, and of course, Hip-Hop. It was one fun party. 

Uncertain of what I wanted to share, I headed over to my Food52 recipe collection for some inspiration. To my surprise, I found that I have my first follower, Holy Shit - I. Am. Famous! Okay, not really, but I totally did a little dance. Who is this new follower named Claire? I am not sure, but I totally love her. That's not creepy, is it? Nah:) As a novice blogger, there is no better feeling than the recognition of a complete stranger. 

Claire pinned a recipe from Dash and Bella that looked perfect for my party; and it would totally work for this new idea I have for Grace and Curiosity - Test Kitchen Tuesdays. I have a difficult time following a recipe, which not only makes baking really hard for me, but curating recipes too.  A pinch of this, a dash of that, taste, more salt? Sugar? Acid? Taste, a pinch of this, a dash of that...how many teaspoons was that? I have no idea. Test Kitchen Tuesdays, here we come.

Dash and Bella's Fig Tart

copied right from her page

• 1tablespoon olive oil
• 2 to 3sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1sheet puff pastry, thawed but still cool
• 1pound figs
• 1teaspoon salt
• 1tablespoon thick balsamic vinegar I used a regular balsamic, reduced it, then added the honey to it
• 1 to 2tablespoon honey, depending on the sweetness of the figs (the darker and more flavorful the better)
• 1/3cup firm blue cheese (I used Wisconsin, but go more intense if you like)I used a semi-soft goat cheese
  
  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. With a mortar and pestle, bash a few sprigs of rosemary with olive oil. Set aside.
  3. Using a bit of flour, roll out your dough until it’s about 1/4-inch thick. Since it’s a free form tart, any shape is fine. Make a pretty little border by folding over a 1/2-inch on each side (the tart gets a little drippy so it’s nice to have a dam).
  4. Stem, halve, and arrange the figs cut-side up on the dough in any pattern (just make sure they’re tightly nestled). Using a pastry brush, generously paint the cut-side of each fig half with the rosemary oil. Sprinkle each fig with salt. Drizzle balsamic and the honey all over, making sure each fig gets a little splash. Crumble cheese all over. Drape the bashed and oily rosemary stems anywhere you like on the tart.
  5. Bake until crispy, brown, and bubbling (about 25 minutes). If the figs don’t get enough color, cover the edges of dough with tin foil and place tart under the broiler until desired color is reached. Cool for a few minutes. Eat.