I love Sukkot. When I was younger and in Hebrew school, I liked it because we got to build a sukkah outside. When I was slightly older and in college, I liked it because we got a couple days off from classes. Now, it’s difficult to find time to build my own sukkah and I don’t get work off during the holiday, but it’s still one of my favorites. I love its emphasis on community, gratitude and, of course, food.
Sukkot doesn’t have too many traditional dishes, but observers are encouraged to eat from the seven species—that is, seven types of fruits and grains (wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates) described as being special crops of Israel. Stuffed foods also symbolize the abundance of the harvest and are eaten on Sukkot. Here’s a familiar, simple recipe that combines one of the seven species with the stuffed foods-theme. (One quick note: If you’re planning on taking a picture of the figs for, say, Instagram, remember to drizzle with balsamic vinegar and nuts before snapping the photo. My bad!)
Blue Cheese-Stuffed Baked Figs
The quantities of each of these ingredients will depend on how many stuffed figs you’d like to make.
Fresh figs, halved
Blue cheese
Honey
Balsamic vinegar
Nuts, like pistachios (optional)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Use your thumb or a small spoon to make a slight indentation in the meat of the fig to make room for the cheese.
Top each fig with cheese. (The quantity will depend on the size of your figs. Mine were pretty big, so I used about 1 tablespoon for each half.) Transfer to oven and cook until cheese melts slightly, about 5 minutes.
Remove from oven and transfer to serving plate. Drizzle with honey and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with nuts, if using. Serve.
