Sweet & Savory Fig Prosciutto Torte

Hola readers! How was the weekend? Did anyone try their hand at a stone fruit crumble? As promised, we are back with the second dish Sherry and I learned to bake, a Sweet and Savory Fig and Proscuitto Torte. I had never made a torte and after executing the simple recipe, it emerged as yet another great baking option, when one craves an alternative to a crisp or a crumble or even a pie. And what I love about these blank canvas-style recipes, is that the options are endless and the ingredient combinations innumerable. We started with figs, baskets of which seemed to be calling my name at the Farmer's Market. What flavors compliment figs? Perhaps prosciutto ("Let's add it to the dough," says our guru Patty) and caramelized onions ("Let's sprinkle slices of red onion atop the figs and drizzle with olive oil."). So off we went, back to the canyon and into the kitchen where we started slicing prosciutto.



After combining the wet and dry ingredients, we mixed in thinly sliced dry-cured meat.



Next up, we plopped the dough onto a parchment paper-lined baking dish, flattened it out and started contemplating the design of our figs.



Three across seemed just about right...



We thinly sliced a third of a red onion and scattered the segments about.



Get this: after drizzling with olive oil, the onions caramelize while baking. How cool is that? Makes me feel like I'm multi-tasking.



We stuck our creation in a 350 degree oven, where we let it bake for around 35 minutes. During this time, the lovely Lady Walsh took me on a tour of her canyon abode, making sure to point out her favorite things.











As the tour ended, so did nap time, and I made sure to steal a snuggle or two with Sherry's adorable two-year-old son Leo Valentine. He's so cute I could barely stand it.



And with that, the timer went off and our torte was lightly golden, the figs and onions had caramelized and we knew it was time to dig in. This dish is truly delicious and allows for so much improvisation, which makes my imagination run wild with different flavor combinations. Served with a few slices of good cheese and a mixed green salad, I'm hard pressed to dream up a more inspired summer lunch.





Sweet & Savory Fig Prosciutto Torte
Serves 8
Recipe written by Patricia Clark

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 oz of thinly sliced prosciutto, thinly sliced
3 ripe figs, cut into wedges
2 eggs & 1/2 cup whole milk
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1/3 of a red onion, thinly sliced

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Line a pyrex baking dish with parchment paper and lightly spray with vegetable oil
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Stir well
Add the eggs + milk, butter and oil and stir until the mixture has reached a thick consistency
Mix in the chopped prosciutto
Press the mixture into the lined pan
Layer in the fix wedges (decoratively if you like) and gently press into the base
Arrange the onions in small areas around the pan
Drizzle with 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes on the middle rack of your oven
Once slightly cooled, cut into squares and enjoy