How much I love black figs but to me they are so much more than a delicious autumn fruit ….

They are sweet bites of memories; living and working in Chile, about a lifetime ago, Costa Blanca climbing trips, evening walks after work when we lived in Manosque, my first visit Kalymnos, or Amorgos, or Sifnos, or Serifos, or Folegandros or several other Cyclades “heavens” and then there was the Peloponnese, last September – we gathered so many one day I’m surprised we didn’t turn into figs!!!  But this year’s harvest came from Booths, in Keswick!

Salad Ingredients:

3 large ripe black figs

1 head chicory

1 head fennel

1 box purple cress (optional)

2 handfuls baby spinach

2 handfuls of walnuts (optional)

 Dressing:

3 tbsps. Avocado oil

1 tbsp. tahini (runny)

2 dsps. sherry balsamic

A few drops vanilla essence

Generous handful of mint leaves (minced)

Sea-salt & crushed pink peppercorns

Scatter the spinach across 2 plates and then lay chicory leaves around the plate interspersed with fig slices.  Mandoline or finely slice the fennel and scatter over the plates along with the purple cress.  Whisk the dressing ingredients together and then drizzle over the salad when you are ready to eat.  The salad makes a great simple lunch – I served mine with sheep’s feta (just to properly wallow in my Greek memories!)

he sal