Figs, fabulous figs! All year I wait patiently, I wait for the phone to ring and the call from my parents saying: ‘Carmelina the figs are ripening, how many would you like, don’t be greedy.’ I normally reply with, ‘Ma, fill a basket’! Picking a warm fig from a tree when it is basking in the sunshine is one of life’s simple pleasures. Eaten and enjoyed straight from the tree. If I’m honest I tend to not cook, bake or jam fresh figs as I find them a little too sweet and I just prefer to eat them fresh as their season is so short. Sometimes however I feel I have possibly eaten one fig too much…..

I recently filmed my first series for ‘Simply Good Food TV’ and was pondering on what to cook. Obviously I concentrated on my passion for pasta and lots of other treats, but my mum turned up with 5 fresh figs the day before I started filming day two.

I immediately split one in half and inhaled it with speed. I then thought lets fill. wrap and bake them for the show. A quick alternative , great as a starter or light lunch.

4 large fresh figs
100g taleggio or gorgonzola
8 slices parma ham or speck
Bunch of parsley and basil chopped finely
Parmesan 30g
Salt and pepper
Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

1. Split the figs in the form of a cross without cutting through the base. Open them up a little like a flower bud.
2. Sprinkle in some of the chopped fresh herbs. and add a little taleggio, pushing the taleggio down with your finger tip…(lick finger tips when no one is looking).
4. Wrap each fig with two pieces of parma ham.
5. Place he wrapped figs in a baking dish and sprinkle over freshly grated parmesan, drizzle over a little extra virgin olive oil and bake for 25 minutes 190C.

Serve on a bed of rocket with a balsamic drizzle.

Enjoy x