Is the old saying true, that “Necessity is the mother of invention?” Hmm.  Well in this case I’ve been trying to get rid of all of the food that’s been shoved into my freezer at the same time, using up all the beautiful produce that I see at the grocery store.  I tend to over buy because I love all the in season cherries and asparagus and figs and….well you get the point.

This recipe used some puff pastry that had been in my freezer.  It’s always good to have a package of pastry dough on hand for those last minute creations (like this one), but it’s also good to renew and refresh once in a while as well.  I also had a case of figs that were a bit too soft for my liking, and my mind started racing.  Fig jam, fig jelly, fig spread.  They all seemed like good ideas…but I wanted something that allowed me to enjoy the taste of this summer fruit a bit more so I opted for a tart instead.  While any firm sharp cheese would work in this recipe, I had smoked scamorza on hand and I figured that the flavours would combine well. The addition of rosemary and white vinegar really enhanced the sweetness of the figs and smokiness of the cheese.

Substitutions in the kitchen may be frowned upon by some, but for many, myself included, the challenge of taking what you have on hand and working flavours and textures into a final product that is both appetizing and beautiful is my main goal in the kitchen.  Especially in this case, necessity brought about a really delicious invention. Enjoy!

• 1 sheet puff pastry
• 5-6 figs cut in half
• 1/2 cup smoked scamorza cheese
• 2 onions
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup milk
• 4 sprigs rosemary
• Balsamic glaze (1 tbsp)

Procedure:

1. Slice onions thinly and caramelize in pan with butter, olive oil, sugar and vinegar over medium heat until they become translucent and lightly coloured (about 15 min).
2. Beat egg and milk. Place onions and all dripping from the pan into the egg mixture.
3. Roll out pastry dough on to parchment paper. Using a fork take the onions out of the egg mixture and please over parchment paper, leaving 1 inch border around the sides.
4. Use a brush to brush this side of the pastry dough with the remaining egg mixture. Fold the size slightly to create a lip. Brush again with egg mixture.
5. Pour remaining egg mixture into the pastry dough. Place figs in rows inside the tart.
6. Top with grated smoked scamorza cheese and bake at 400F (375 for a convection oven) for 20 min.
7. Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack. Drizzle with balsamic glaze or reduction.