Panini with Fig, Carmelized Onion and Havarti

As promised, one more savory post about figs. The late-summer fig season is almost over, so this will likely be the last. I apologize for being too busy to share more, but I have been traveling a lot and time has been limited. Still, with a last ditch effort to save summer, try to expand your palate and enjoy one more quick snack.

Perfect for lunch or a light dinner, panini adhere to few rules. Really, as long as it is grilled, you can add any filling between good bread and make something expeditious and flavorful.

True, it is basically a fancy sandwich.

But let's be honest, it's way more fun to serve a panini for lunch than a sandwich. Obviously. So just go with it. The next time you make a sandwich, toast it and call it a panini. I promise it will taste better.

The next thing you might be thinking is: why in the name of everything holy would you put fruit in a panini? Well, it's delicious. Enough said. Additionally, if you have guests you can easily serve this to carnivores and vegetarians alike and get style points for originality. There is really no downside.

Let's begin.

Thinly slice onions. Heat up a small amount of olive oil and butter in a nonstick skillet. Add onions and cook over low-medium heat until caramelized, 15 minutes.

While the onions are on the stove, slice figs thinly.

After onions become light golden, add figs and cook another 3-4 minutes until softened. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over top and season with salt. Set aside.

Butter the bread for the panini. Thick slices of multigrain with a nice crust is ideal, but it will work with whatever you have on hand. Layer havarti on both sides. Top with onion/fig mixture.

Toast on both sides 2 minutes, until cheese has melted and sides are golden brown. If you are cool enough to have a panini maker, you can do this faster and have fancy grill marks. Otherwise you can use a skillet like I did...

When finished, remove from pan, cut into triangles and serve immediately.

Devour.

Panini with Fig, Caramelized Onions and Havarti

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 figs, sliced thinly horizontally
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• Sea salt to taste
• 4 slices havarti
• 2 slices multigrain bread

Instructions

1. Slice figs and onions. In a nonstick skillet, heat butter and olive oil over low-medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to caramelize. Add figs and cook for 3-4 more minutes until softened. Dress with basalmic vinegar and salt to taste.
2. Spread thin layer of butter on each piece of bread. On a cutting board, layer havarti between two pieces of crust bread. Pour onion & fig mixture between.
3. Over medium heat, toast panini until golden brown and cheese has melted. Remove from heat and cut in half. Serve hot.

Yield: 1 panini