Fig Salad with Mozzarella and Raspberry Dressing

I was invited to attend an event called Figology Fest, hosted by Los Angeles food bloggers Erika Kerekes, who owns Not Ketchup and Judy Lyness of Two Broads Abroad. It was sponsored by the California Fig Board.  My contribution to the potluck was a Fig Salad with Mozzarella and Raspberry Dressing. (recipe featured at the bottom of this post)

Their rep Karla J. Stockli was on hand to tell us all about figs. Dozens of bloggers tasted recipes made with figs including a Boozy Fig milkshake, Stuffed Figs a La Blue, Fig Olive Focaccia, Pacific Rockfish Fish Tacos with Fig Fennel Salsa, Fresh Fig and Lemon Tart, Fig and Zinfandel Sorbet and my Fig Salad recipe at the bottom of this post. You can see some of them in the image below.

I figged out on figs!

When I mentioned this on Facebook, someone commented, “Did you bring a date?” 

Love those punsters!

Eating Figs is Good for Your Fig-ure!

If you’re lucky to find fresh figs, you’re doing yourself a favor by eating them. Their health benefits are impressive. For one thing, figs are jammed packed with fiber. If you eat 3 figs, that’s about 5 grams.

Fiber helps you avoid constipation, which is a major cause of hemorrhoids. As Baby Boomers, We all know that’s not fun!  When your digestion is “moving” you feel better and look thinner. Fiber-filled foods also protect against post-menopausal breast cancer.

Figs are naturally sweet, so you don’t want to down too many at one sitting. A few figs a day are perfect to help you stay in tip-top shape.

They contain the soluble fiber pectin. It helps clear out bad cholesterol and prevents some types of abdominal colon cancers. They’re also calcium rich and help reduce bone loss.

Figs also protect against diabetes, hypertension, bronchitis, sexual dysfunction, osteoporosis, urinary calcium loss, macular degeneration, throat pain and respiratory disease.

Dried figs contain Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids which will reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.

Did You Know?

If you’re experiencing respiratory distress or asthma a nice cup of Fig Leaf Tea will help.

In India, figs are used as a calming salve for venereal disease.  Hopefully, you don’t have anything like that!  LOL.

If your man isn’t “performing” as well as he could, soak 3 figs in milk overnight and have him eat it. The vitamins and minerals in figs may give him the boost he needs if you know what I mean.

The beautiful figs in these pictures were grown in Fresno, California. Figs originated in Asia Minor, Syria, Mesopotamia, Persia, Iran, Armenia and Afghanistan.  The development of figs eventually moved into the Mediterranean regions of Greece, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, and Italy.

Fig Salad – Yummy!

I hope this inspires you to eat fresh figs and enjoy this Fig Salad and Mozzarella with Raspberry Dressing recipe.

Fig Salad and Mozzarella with Raspberry Dressing #cafigs

 

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Have a lovely plate of fresh figs with mozzarella for a light and tasty salad.

Author: Rebecca Forstadt Olkowski

Recipe type: Salad

Ingredients

• Fresh Arugula Leaves (per salad plate)
• Fresh Figs stems snipped and quartered 1-2 per plate
• Fresh mini mozzarella balls (6-8 per plate)

Dressing

• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp Raspberry vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
• 1 tsp of snipped fresh thyme or ½ tsp of dried thyme

Instructions

1. Arrange arugula leaves on salad plates
2. Place quartered figs and mozzarella balls on top of the leaves

Dressing

1. Blend all ingredients with a fork
2. Drizzle over salad plates

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