A weird combination?

Figs, beetroot and blue cheese sound a weird combination – but altogether in a pastry case? Even weirder, except it works! I came across a really complicated recipe, and I followed it carefully, but unfortunately I haven’t the presentation skills required and it did look strange – which puts some people off… I think I would make it differently, more simply… so this is my simplified recipe:

The Figs

• 4  dried figs
• red wine – or fruit juice of your choice
• spices of your choice but probably Christmassy ones – clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice etc
•  orange or lemon zest
• 6 juniper berries (optional)

1. cook the figs with everything else until they are soft
2. take them out and when they are cool slice them carefully (they might just go squidy but never mind, just remove the stalks)
3. reduce the liquor to a syrup

The pastry

•  filo pastry if you want
• or ordinary shortcrust

1. follow the instructions on the packet for  cooking filo pastry, cutting it into eight squares
2. or/ using big bun tines – or individual Yorkshire pudding tins make eight pastry cases with the short crust

Beetroot

1. peel and cook 4 medium-sized beetroot in boiling water until tender but firm  – probably about 30 mins (save the water for beetroot soup)
2. when cool cut into really thin slices using a mandolin (mind your fingers) or use a knife!

Cheese

Any soft  blue cheese you like, or soft goats’ cheese or cream cheese

To serve

1. the fig into the pastry cases
2. cover with  beetroot slices
3. crumble or dollop the cheese on top
4. dribble with fig syrup and garnish as you like , something green would be pretty

Here is a link to what happened when I tried it before:

https://wp.me/p2hGAs-58N

My featured picture by the way is of the dish I used to roast the beetroot!