Fig and Gorgonzola Tart: I am a passionate runner, albeit a prolonged one. I love how it makes my brain fizz, and I write the most wonderful recipes while I’m running, sadly often to find out, with the help of Google, that someone else has also had a similar idea. Of course, ideas are constantly being updated, changed, fused or inspired, which is half the fun of creating recipes.

My brain was particularly active because I had two big bags of figs, which I was trying to incorporate into as many recipes as possible—baked, pickled, or roasted!

Make Fig Cheese Toasties, Roast with Prosciutto, Pickle or add to Cakes.

It’s a short season, so if you are lucky enough to have a fig tree or a friend with a fig tree, add them to everything you can. Due to the scorching weather, they are tiny but still so tasty this year. Make dainty cheese toasties as antipasti, roast and toss with prosciutto and mozzarella, add to cakes, pickle them, add as a topping on focaccia with feta or bake in a tart.

It is sumptuous but quite rich, so you only need a small slice, maybe with a big green salad and balsamic dressing.

Easy Spelt Pastry

I’m all for the quick fix, but I don’t like pre-made pastry – this recipe pulls together in 5 minutes and tastes so much better, even if you don’t have a food processor. It has a little wholemeal spelt flour to give it a slightly nutty taste without making it too heavy. The creamy base is infused with cardamom and rosemary, poured over the onions and then topped with figs and cheese. I’ve used gorgonzola because I had it in the fridge, but any blue cheese would work well. If it is strong, adjust the quantity accordingly so it doesn’t overpower the flavours. Goat cheese is another excellent combination.

Remember to bake it blind, if only for 10 minutes, so the base is crisp. The tart only needs about 20 minutes. Keep the pasty thin so it complements and doesn’t dominate the Fig and Gorgonzola filling.

If you’re in a baking mood, try the Cheesy Leek Tart or Wild Asparagus Quiche recipe or visit the baking section for inspiration.