The summer is coming to an end which means figs are out in full force right now. I don’t think I could ever truly enjoy a dry fig ever again after eating them fresh. My CSA delivery this week included a basket of figs – the husband was not aware of this and picked up a second basket from Whole Foods. I’m not complaining though because this meant I could get creative with one basket and make something new – in this case, a fig chutney. I haven’t decided what my “vehicle” for it is going to be, but I think a goat cheese purchase is in order.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t easy to find a recipe online for a fig chutney or relish. There were many fig jam options, but I wanted something a bit more savory. I finally found one recipe that I took some liberties on, but it worked out great.

I prepped the figs by removing the stem and chopping them into quarters and set them aside for later.

Ingredients

• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger

1. Cook the onions and shallots until softened and slightly caramelized.
2. Add in the ginger and lemon juice/zest and gave it all a good stir.
3. Add in the brown sugar and vinegars. The original recipe recommended simmering for 30 minutes, but I wanted a thicker consistency, so let it simmer for an extra 10 minutes.
4. Add in the figs and cooked the mixture for around 25 minutes.

The finished product is absolutely delicious – now to figure out what to eat it with!