Grilled Bread and Kale Salad With Red Onions, Walnuts, and Figs

This standout salad takes a turn from the ordinary by wilting the kale over heat before serving.

Suggested tweaks: You could fiddle with the fruit if figs aren't in season, using apples, pears, or even grapes instead.

Ingredients

serves Serves 2 to 4, active time 35 minutes, total time 35 minutes

• 5–6 ripe figs
• 1–2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice
• 1 3-ounce piece Parmesan cheese
• 1 loaf ciabatta or sourdough baguette (fresh or day-old)
• 1 large or 2 small bunches (1/2 pound total) lacinato kale
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small red onion, cut in half and then into 1/4-inch slices
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• A handful or two walnut halves, toasted and coarsely chopped
• Black pepper
• Lemon or lime wedges

Procedures

1. Stem the figs and slice them lengthwise into about 5 wedges per fig. Place them in a medium dish and sprinkle with the lemon or lime juice. Toss gently to coat and set aside.
   
2. Shave strips of Parmesan from the block of cheese, using a sturdy vegetable peeler. Lovely cheese ribbons will ensue. Set aside.
   
3. Slice the bread into approximately a dozen thin (as in almost see-through) slices. Larger slices from a ciabatta can be halved for easier handling and consumption. Set aside.
   
4. Hold each kale leaf by the stem and use a very sharp knife to release the leaf from the stem (it’s OK to leave the narrow part of the stem that blends into the leaf farther up). Make a pile of the leaves, roll them up tightly, and cut crosswise into super-thin strips. Transfer to a large bowl of cold water and swish around to clean. Spin very dry and transfer to a large bowl. Set aside.
   
5. Heat a large deep skillet over medium heat for about a minute. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Turn up the heat to medium-high and add the onion and 1/8 teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring and/or shaking the pan a little, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the onion becomes shiny and is still this side of tender.
   
6. Transfer the hot onion to the kale in the bowl and stir everything around a bit, then return the entire bowlful of kale-plus-onions to the pan. Stir-fry quickly—just for a minute or so—over medium-high heat until the kale turns an even deeper shade of green and wilts slightly.
   
7. Return it all to the bowl, tossing in the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt. You can add some of the cheese at this point, if you’d like it to melt in slightly.
   
8. Remove the pan from the heat, wait a minute or two, then add the vinegar to the pan (stand back—it will sizzle), swirl it around, and pour what’s left of it into the kale. (It will mostly evaporate.)
   
9. Without bothering to clean the pan, return it to the stove over medium heat. Wait another minute, then add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the bread slices in a single layer and grill on each side until lightly golden and perfectly crisp.
   
10. Transfer the toasts to the kale, along with the figs and all their juice and the shaved cheese to taste. Toss quickly (no need to get things uniform), adding the remaining cheese and the walnuts as you go. Serve right away, passing a pepper mill and offering wedges of lemon or lime to be aimed straight at the figs.
    
11. Optional enhancements:
    Not a fig person? You can swap in a crisp fall apple, sliced thin and lemon juice-doused.
    Go in an entirely different direction and substitute slices or chunks of a very sweet ripe heirloom tomato or a few handfuls of very sweet, ripe cherry tomatoes.

Pizza With Figs, Mozzarella, and Goat's Milk Feta

Special equipment

Wood and metal pizza peels, Baking Steel

Ingredients

serves Makes four 10- to 12-inch pizzas, serving 4, active time 45 minutes, total time 3 hours

• 1 recipe Neapolitan Pizza Dough, or 2 pounds store-bought pizza dough
• 12 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn into rough chunks and drained
• 20 ripe figs, cut into quarters
• 8 ounces goat's milk feta cheese
• Kosher salt
• 24 fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup honey

Procedures

1. Divide dough into four even parts and place each in a covered quart-sized deli container or in a zipper-lock freezer bag. Allow to rest at room temperature for at least 2 hours before baking.
   
2. Adjust oven rack to 6 inches under broiler and place stone or steel on rack. Preheat oven to highest possible temperature (500 or 550°F) for at least 45 minutes. Alternatively, use Kettle Pizza and Baking Steel grill insert.
   
3. When ready to bake, turn single dough ball out onto lightly flour surface. Gently press out dough into rough 8-inch circle, leaving outer 1-inch higher than the rest. Gently stretch dough into a 10 to 12-inch circle about 1/4-inch thick by draping over knuckles and gently stretching. Transfer to floured wooden pizza peel.
   
4. Preheat broiler to high. Spread 1/4 of mozzarella over pizza, followed by 1/4 of figs and 1/4 of goat's milk feta. Sprinkle lightly with salt, add 6 basil leaves, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil.
   
5. Transfer pizza to hot stone or steel and broil until edges are puffed and lightly charred and bottom is crisp, rotating regularly for even cooking, 3 to 6 minutes total. Retrieve pizza with a metal peel and transfer to a cutting board. Allow to rest 1 minute. Meanwhile, switch oven back to 550°F to reheat stone for remaining pizzas.
   
6. Drizzle hot pizza with 1 tablespoon honey. Slice and serve immediately.
   
7. Repeat steps 4 through 6 for remaining pizzas.

Pasta With Figs and Prosciutto

Ingredients

serves Serves 4 to 6, active time 25 minutes, total time 25 minutes

• 8 thin slices of Prosciutto, about 6 ounces, divided
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion (about 1/2 medium onion)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 8 to 10 medium fresh, ripe figs, about 2 1/2 cups chopped
• 1 pound pasta of choice (see note above)
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/3 cup lightly toasted pine nuts (see note above)
• Grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Procedures

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place two slices of prosciutto on a baking sheet. Bake the prosciutto until crispy, about 7 minutes then cool to room temperature. Once cool, crumble the prosciutto into pieces and set aside to garnish the completed pasta dish. Roll the other 6 slices of prosciutto up lengthwise, and then thinly slice into strips and set aside until needed for the sauce.
   
2. Place a large pot of lightly salted water on to boil. While the pasta water is coming to a boil, heat the oil in a small pot over medium heat until lightly smoking, then cook the onion, stirring, until it is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, sliced prosciutto, pepper, and chili flakes and cook, stirring often for about 4 minutes. Add the figs, stir gently to mix and lower the heat to medium-low, then continue to cook until the figs begin to break down, about 4 minutes. Keep warm.
   
3. Cook the pasta until it is "al dente" following the package instructions, then drain, reserving a small cup of the pasta water. Return the pasta to the pot and empty the fig and prosciutto mixture on top. Place the pot over medium high heat, and stirring constantly, add as much pasta water as is needed to lightly coat the pasta strands, usually about 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup. Once the pasta is piping hot and well mixed, add the parsley and toss.
   
4. Serve the pasta in individual bowls, topped with a sprinkling of the toasted pine nuts, and crispy prosciutto crumbles. Pass grated cheese at the table.