Roasted Yams and Fresh Figs

Last week my wife surprised me with a delicious birthday meal. One of the dishes she made was this beautiful plate of roasted yams, jalapeños, green onions, goat cheese, and fresh figs with a balsamic reduction. It’s one of our favorites from the celebrated Jerusalem cookbook. I still remember how tentative I was the first time I gave this dish a try. At first glance, it seems like an odd combination of ingredients. But like all perfect recipes, the final result is bursting with flavors much greater than a simple sum of its parts. With figs in season, I thought it was about time I shoot it for the blog – which really was just an excuse for seconds. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!!

ROASTED YAMS AND FRESH FIGS

Ingredients:

• 2 medium yams
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 5 green onions, halved lengthwise and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 jalapeños, thinly sliced
• 5 fresh black figs, quartered
• goat cheese
• olive oil
• salt

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 475° F
• Wash the yams, halve them lengthwise, and cut into wedges.
• Toss the yam wedges with olive oil and salt.
• Spread the wedges out on a baking sheet, skin side down, and cook for 25 minutes until soft, but not mushy. Remove from the oven and let cool.
• While the yams are roasting, add balsamic vinegar and honey to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 2-4 minutes until the sauce thickens. Be sure to remove the sauce from the stove before it becomes too thick – it should still be runnier than honey, and will continue to thicken as it cools. You can always add a drop of water before serving if it becomes too thick.
• Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the green onions and jalapeños and sauté 4-5 minutes stirring often.
• Spread the yams on your serving platter and cover with the green onion and jalapeño mix.
• Top with figs and goat cheese, and drizzle with the balsamic reduction.

(images by HonestlyYUM; recipe adapted from Jerusalem: A Cookbook)