Figs with goat cheese, basil, and pomegranate vinaigrette

I am waiting for the fresh fig season to make this salad. Sweet figs, salted goat cheese, and tart pomegranate vinaigrette make the perfect combination. It's also so easy to make.

The little flowers are basil flowers. I did not know how delicious they were until my neighbour, Robin, gave me a bunch of purple and green leaves and flowers from her garden. Thank you for your kindness and generosity, Robin. It is truly appreciated in all that is going on in this world today.

This cookbook was the first one in my Ottolenghi collection; I now have all the others. It brought beautiful flavours to my table and opened my mind to great recipes. Most of the recipes are simple, but each dish is fabulous. I have cooked more than half the recipes from this cookbook. I do need to post from here more often.

For more fabulous recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

For the dressing:

1 shallot, finely diced

1/2 teaspoon smooth Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses

4 tablespoons EVOO

Salt and pepper to taste

For the salad:

8 fresh figs, any variety, but I like to use different colours: purple mission, green Kadota or Calimyrna, and brown Turkish. Halved or quartered, depending on size.

2 cups baby arugula

3/4 cup basil, roughly torn

2-3 oz creamy goat cheese

Make the dressing by combining all the ingredients. Whisk well to stir. Sit at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavours to come together.

Lay the arugula in the bottom of a bowl. Top with the basil, then the cut figs, and lastly, the block of goat cheese in the middle. Do not mix in the salad dressing; it is very acidic, and the leaves will wilt in about 20 minutes.

Drizzle a touch of the dressing on the salad at the table, leaving it for guests to add more if desired. Enjoy.