Seasonal Parma ham & fig salad

I think we are incredibly lucky in the UK to welcome in our four seasons. We know every year we will have a beautiful crisp and fragrant Spring , possibly a few days of sunshine – if we’re lucky, certainty a wet and cold Winter and my favourite season being Autumn. Each season brings with it the chance to taste and experience a change in seasonal food and drink.

I long for the Summer. Courgettes are not only versatile and incredibly easy to grow for even a novice, but they also provide us with the most delicious edible flowers. The flowers can be chopped and added to salads, tumbled into frittatas and pasta dishes, but also filled (within an inch of their lives) with ricotta and anchovies. Then dipped in a light batter and fried. You see, I’m salivating and now I am already excited about Summer 2017, this is because I choose to each within the seasons and its bounty at the time.

Now fresh figs, well that’s another story. Every Italian in the UK has a fig tree in their garden, well in my family they do. I think this is possibly part of our DNA or in the deeds of the houses we purchase. The shameful thing is in my family of 1 husband and 4 children, I’m the only one who eats them! Shocking I know. But instead of taking this as a negative I look at it as more of a positive. Win win from me with every humble picking.

So the tail end of Summer is upon us and as I do every year I overdose on this most fantastic and somewhat prehistoric looking fruit. If you are new to figs or have a dislike for them, then please allow me to change your mind.

Figs paired with thinly sliced Parma ham, shavings of Parmesan, a drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic – simply a match made in heaven. Sweet and salty, light and refreshing. Parma ham really takes center stage in many of my dishes, as does Parmesan cheese. I was recently called on twitter ‘The Parmesan rind queen’, guess why?

Parma ham is a dry cured meat known as ‘Prosciutto crudo’ (when raw) hailing from the region of Emilia Romagna. Parma ham is a cured and aged hind leg of pork. Salt is the only ingredient used when curing the leg and the aging process can take anything from 9 months to 3 years. The aging process is what refines the Parma ham, as the same with a good wine, it takes time. I find that the longer that the Parma ham is aged for the sweeter it becomes. This salad makes for a simple lunch or it would work equally well as part of a large sharing antipasti platter.

Alternatively; Take a fig and cross the top of the fig making sure you do not cut through to the base. Open the fig slightly and add a tsp of taleggio cheese and a basil leaf into the center cavity. Wrap the fig with 2 slices of Parma ham. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle over a little grated Parmesan. Bake for 15 minutes and serve. Figs are seasonal but Parma ham is for life! So here I’ve made the most of my last figs by slicing them in wedges and draping them with wafer thin Parma ham, basil leaves and olive oil. A few sprinkles of oregano and a pinch of salt. Quality bread and enjoy. With Italian cooking, less is more. It’s about using seasonal food but also pairing it with quality daily Italian products such as Parmesan from Modena and Parma ham from Parma. I will be showcasing a few different recipes through the month of October using Parma ham in not only savoury but also sweet dishes, so I urge you, stock up on Parma ham and start with a fig salad.