Today I’m on my way. Where? You ask…
Today I am travelling via ferry to a land of wonder and adult frivolity. Today, bags packed, car filled to the tippy top, air conditioning cranked (sorry Mother Nature, but it’s freakin’ hot okay), kids strapped into car seats and snacks hidden in every nook and cranny, we are heading to the Okanagan.
Not familiar with this hidden desert gem of Canada (the only “true desert in Canada actually)? I’m not surprised, and yet I am. The Okanagan produces nearly all the wine coming out of Canada (other growing regions include the Niagara region of Ontario, the Similkameen Valley, Southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, the Fraser Valley, Quebec, and Nova Scotia.) Canada’s wines are known as “cool climate” wines, similar to the climates of New Zealand, Northern France, Italy and Germany.
Many a good bottle of wine has come out of the Okanagan, and I can say I’ve tasted a fair amount of them.
Every year, for the past 6 years, we’ve gone there. Beautiful, hot and full of so many wineries it would take weeks to visit them all, the Okanagan Valley is one of this family’s favourite destinations. Last year, my sister moved there and has given us an even better excuse to go. I get to see family, stay for cheap and still get to see all the wineries I want. There’s even fabulous food to be had as well, for what’s a good drink of lush wine without food to accompany it?
We’ve left our house in confidant hands, our dog, sadly couldn’t come. There’s just no room anymore with these two kidlets taking up all the space! But I’ll be back next week with fresh recipes for even more summer delights.
In the mean time, what you’ve all been waiting for, the winner of the contest is:
Nadia
I think I’d go with the pasta maker attachment for my mixer. Why? Seems ridiculous being the Italophile I am, that I don’t make pasta often enough – need a little bit more help!
Congratulations Nadia! I hope you get your pasta attachment, I know it’s something I’ve had on my list forever too! Although, making it yourself isn’t too hard either. Please contact me within 48 hours to receive your gift!
Prosciutto Wrapped Figs
Yield: 16 pieces
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minuites4 Fresh Desert King Figs (or Black Mission, Turkish, etc.)
100g chèvre (fresh goat’s cheese)
8 slices of prosciutto, sliced very thin
1 tbsp oil
1. Split the figs into quarters.
2. Depress the centres of the figs slightly to accommodate the cheese.
3. Pinch off teaspoon size pieces of the chèvre and roll in the palm of your hand into small balls.
4. Place cheese balls into depression in fig slices.
5. Slice prosciutto into two pieces each, either vertically or horizontally, whichever will be large enough to wrap around the figs. I did vertically.
6. Place fig and cheese combo on one end of a slice if prosciutto and roll up into little cigar shapes.
7. Coat in oil and set aside. Continue with remaining ingredients.
8. Heat BBQ grill to medium high and place oiled wrapped figs directly on grill.
9. Grill on each side for about 1 minute. Just long enough to achieve grill marks and warm the centres within.
10. Remove from grill and devour as an appetizer or as a side dish to a summer salad.
Do be quick though, these little guys won’t last long.
Similarly delicious recipes on other blogs:
Figs with Blue Cheese and Honey on Use Real Butter
Baked Figs Stuffed with Walnuts on Wandering Chopsticks
Fig, Prosciutto and Gorgonzola Pizza on YumSugar
Figs with Prosciutto, Mozzarella and Basil on Whipped
Roasted Fig, Camemberts and Prosciutto “Sushi” Rolls on Bitchin’ Camero
Congratulations Nadia!! I have lived in the Okanagan now for 15 years and am slowly working my way through all the wineries. They are popping up in everincreasing numbers as long as the land is avalable.It truly is heaven on earth here, but the island is pretty nice too.
Oh! If I had known that I would have planned something!
Yum. I love love love figs! I used to have a fig tree when I was in California. Now I am in New England and no fig tree.
Gosh, I drool over your photographs!
You have an amazing eye for the subject I must say.What lens do you use?
Thank you Prerna!
Currently I mostly use a Nikkor 85mm f/3.5 Micro lens. A macro lens. But my other stand by is the Nikkor f/1.8 50mm…awesome lens!
Have a wonderful vacation and wow for the figs.
Wow, this recipe looks divine. It would probably be tasty with some of the wines in Okanagan Wine Country too! Have a great trip!
Oh my…. I adore figs done this way, its been way too long since I’ve indulged too. Thanks for reminding me 🙂
This recipe looks amazing! I love figs and goat cheese…I will be trying these soon. Your pictures are amazing too! 🙂
Oh, so jealous that you get to visit such spectacular wine country!
What’s your favorite winery there?
Hi Nate, my favourite wineries have got to be Lake Breeze, Ruby Tuesday and Blasted Church. But I also love 8th Generation and Desert Hills too! So many to choose from!
Have a great holiday! Great photos and recipe!
Fantastic pic’s and a lovely recipe! I hope you have a lovely time!
Thanks for sharing.
John.
This looks outstanding. A friend of mine has 2 fig trees. She said next month they will all be ripe and wanted to know if I wanted any. I told her YES. I want some. I want a lot. I will make fig jam, dried figs, and now I can wrap them with prosciutto! Mmmm….Thanks for the inspiration. I will pass the ideas on to her as she is running out of them and knows she will be overrun with figs next month.
I’m so jealous!
Yahoo!!! Super excited as I never win anything 🙂
The Okanagan is my (local) dream vacation! We’re planning an rv trip there next summer, so thanks for feeding that fire 🙂
Oh, and the figs… and goat cheese to boot… drool!!
Elizabeth, this post represents everything I want from a food blog: an inspired yet simple recipe, gorgeous photographs and clear instructions. I’ll be back to see more! Thank you for the visiting my blog. Jane-Anne (Juno).
I hope your family has a great time in Okanagan Valley! The picture reveal a stunning landscape, I’m hoping to visit someday. Also your grilled figs look so good! I like that shot of the sliced fig close-up.
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I love figs and I love things wrapped in prosciutto. I know I would devour these in seconds.
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