Roasted Figs with Gorgonzola, Walnuts & Honey and Fig Ice Cream

It’s taken a few years to get over that childish, September back-to-school feeling but I love the month now. The crisp air smells of autumn but the summer sun has not left, hay bales dot russet fields and my favourite fruit is in season: Figs!

Now, a fig that has fallen from a tree in the sticky heat of Italy or Madeira, say, is a different thing to the imported figs I managed to buy. Their plump and purple velvet skin broke to reveal a rather dry center, so they needed a little help in the flavour department.

Some I stuffed with the classic combination of blue cheese, walnuts and honey and then tied them up in the leaves from our figless fig tree to enhance the fig flavour. When roasted, the sweet and salty taste was delicious with the perfumed fruit. I then came across this great Fig Ice Cream recipe from Delicious Shots (see her beautiful pictures) in which you cook the figs down with sugar and honey and mix into a vanilla custard then churn. The ice cream comes out with the fig seeds looking rather like vanilla seeds and making a pop in your mouth which I rather liked but it may not suit everybody. It has a lovely pale lavender colour with the chunks of figs still visible and looked gorgeous in these exquisite blue bowls handmade by Rosemarie Durr in Kilkenny, Ireland.

Fig Ice Cream from Delicious Shots

 2 cups milk

1 cup heavy cream

2 egg yolk

1/2 cup sugar, divided 

2 cups figs, quartered 

2 tbsp honey 

1/2 tsp vanilla bean extract

In a large saucepan, combine the figs, half of the sugar and honey. Let it macerate at room temperature for 20 minutes. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens. At this point, break down the fig (as much as you like) with a potato masher, cook for 3 minutes more. Let it cool completely, cover and refrigerate it for a couple of hours  until well chill. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the rest of the sugar and egg yolks until pale yellow. In another saucepan, combine milk, heavy cream and the vanilla bean. Heat the mixture until just begin to boil (but don't let it boil) Temper the milk mixture over the eggs, mix well and return the saucepan to the heat. Cook for three minutes more stirring well. Don't let the mixture come to boil. Let it cool completely, cover and refrigerate it for a couple of hours until well chill. When ready, combine well the figs and the milk mixture and pour it into an ice cream maker and follow manufacture's instructions.