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Cooking from the Glossies: Fig, Goat Cheese, and Caramelized Onion Sandwiches

Posted by Lucy Baker, October 8, 2008 at 3:00 PM

Photograph by Lucy Baker.

To my delight, fig season seems to be extra long-lasting this year. Normally, the delicate, tear drop-shaped fruits are only available for a few short weeks at the end of summer. But here we are in mid-October, and my supermarket still has them stocked. Figs are a bit more expensive now than they were in August (the small basket I bought for this recipe cost $3.99), but for a special recipe, they are well worth the cost.

I've been feeling a little bored with my lunches lately (usually soup or salad, or soup and salad). So while looking for a recipe to make for this week's Cooking from the Glossies, I focused on dishes that would make a good midday meal. I settled on the Fig, Goat Cheese, and Caramelized Onion Sandwiches from the October issue of Everyday Food for several reasons.

First, it was obviously a quick recipe, which is important for lunch. Who has time to stop everything in the middle of the day and spend hours in the kitchen? Second, I was intrigued by the combination of tender, fragrant figs and assertive caramelized onion. How would the flavors work together? Lastly, I love goat cheese and can rarely resist making a recipe that lists it in the ingredients.

The sandwiches took a bit longer to prepare than I was hoping—caramelizing onions takes a bit of patience—but the results are well worth the wait, and the extra few minutes away from my desk. Mellow and salty, the onion flavors were a perfect complement to the honey-like sweetness of the figs and the tart goat cheese. While these would obviously taste best served immediately, you could probably get away with assembling them in the morning, then taking them to work for a healthful lunch.

Fig, Goat Cheese, and Caramelized Onion Sandwiches

- makes 4 servings -
Adapted from Everyday Food

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/3 cup fresh goat cheese (3 1/2 ounces), room temperature
8 thick slices country bread
1/2 pound ripe fresh figs (about 8) stemmed and thinly sliced

Procedure

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium. Add onions, and season with salt and pepper. Cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions have softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Uncover; cook until onions are golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes more (if skillet begins to darken, add 1/4 cup water).

2. Dividing evenly, spread cheese on 4 bread slices. Top with onions and figs; sandwich with remaining bread.

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Tags: Cooking from the Glossies, Everyday Food, figs, goat cheese, lunch, sandwiches