Roasted Figs and Sweet Potatoes for One

Fig season is almost over, and I have selfishly hoarded all my fig recipes this year. Guilt has set in with the High Holy Days, and so, here’s a figgy recipe for you. The sad thing is that you’ll never know how it tastes because all the figs are mine. Mine, I tell you. Gimme.

1 small sweet potato, halved lengthwise

1 ½ TBLSP olive oil

Salt

Pepper

2 TBLSP balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon powdered sugar

3 green onions, halved lengthwise and cut into 1 1/2–inch segments

3 ripe figs, quartered (use more if they’re small)

1 ounce (about 2 TBLSP of faux creamy cheese)

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit.

1. Cut the sweet potato wedges into three further wedges (so six wedges total, eight if you have a plump potato).
2. On a baking sheet, drizzle olive oil over the potato wedges. Sprinkle salt and pepper over them too, and then stir them up to coat everything. Make sure the potato wedges end up skin side down on the baking sheet.
3. Bake for 25 minutes until soft but not mushy. Let them cool on a rack.
4. In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar and sugar. Bring it to a boil, then decrease the heat and simmer for 4 minutes, until it thickens a little. Remove it from the heat when it’s about as thick as maple syrup. If it gets too thick, stir in a little water.
5. Arrange the cooled potato wedges on the serving plate. I like to nestle mine in a bed of lettuce, but you do whatever pleases you.
6. Heat a little more oil in a small frying pan over medium heat and add the green onion and fry for 4-5 minutes. Spoon the fried onions over the sweet potatoes.
7. Arrange the fig pieces among the potato wedges and then slosh the balsamic reduction artfully over the top. Dot the faux cheese (if you’re using it) on top of that.
8. Then get out of the way, because I will come barreling through your door and eat it all up before you get a chance to sample it. 

Usually, my second photo shows a bite being taken or removed. But it's figs! Figs, I tell you! I couldn't help myself.