Open Faced Fig and Blue Cheese Sandwiches with Balsamic Reduction

It is finally fig season, so I just had to make something new with some figs.  I have a tiny little fig tree with about two figs on it that are not ripe yet.  My parents have a larger fig tree, but it is not doing as well this year either.  Both trees were injured by the super cold winter we had last year.   I think it was the ice storm that got to both of them.  At any rate, these are store bought.  I am calling the recipe open faced fig and blue cheese sandwiches, but they could be bruschetta or something else entirely, but I thought they were to big to call bruschetta.  I topped them with a balsamic reduction that is just so yummy that I could drink it.  It is just balsamic vinegar – no other ingredients, but if you have never reduced it, you are really missing something.  And, the bread is a whole grain bread I purchased from the bakery.  Homemade would be even better, but I ran out of time for that.

This recipe is actually really quick and easy.  The longest part is the balsamic reduction, and it only takes about ten minutes.  A word of caution with the balsamic reduction – you don’t want to boil it at too high of a temperature, and you certainly don’t want to not pay attention to it.  I did both the first time I made it, and I am pretty sure I almost set it on fire.  Just bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer until it is reduced by half or maybe a little more.

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Open Faced Fig and Blue Cheese Sandwiches with Balsamic Reduction

Author Michelle

Yield 5

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 5 medium sized slices of bread (I used whole grain from the bakery.)
• 4 oz. mascarpone cheese
• 2 oz. blue cheese
• 5 large figs (I used mission figs.)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat vinegar in a small saucepan until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer until approximately half. Set aside.
3. Combine mascarpone and blue cheeses stirring until all of the blue cheese is incorporated into the mascarpone.
4. Spread the bread with the cheese mixture and place cheese side up on a baking sheet.
5. Bake just until melted. This will only take 2 to 3 minutes, so watch it carefully.
6. Top with fig slices and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.