I have been very pleased with the recipes in the recent Moosewood cookbook, the 2009 Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health. I cannot recommend the publication enough to my epicurean friends.  A dear longtime friend of ours came for dinner earlier this week we prepared a feast for three. This recipe from Moosewood's Cooking for Health was served as a dessert, but can be made for an appetizer, brunch, or buffet. Fresh or dried figs are a nutrient rich fruit, high in calcium, and fiber. Bookmark this recipe the next time you're having a small party. You can easily prepare and stuff the figs in advance and bake them just before serving.

I prefer Calimyrna figs but in a bind I use Black Mission figs. Black mission figs are easier to find. The organic variety is available in the Nature's Marketplace at Giant food stores. In this recipe, the size of the black mission figs is a bonus, they lend themselves nicely to a bite size dessert or appetizer. 

The cookbook author didn't recommend a particular honey, but greek honey is strong and complements the flavors of the citrus zest. If you have it available, use it in place of the traditional clover honey. If greek honey is not available add anise seed as I did to the recipe.

Stuffed Dried Figs with Chèvre, Honey, Anise, and Pistachios
A variation from the Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health, 2009, page 315

20 dried figs
1 teaspoon grated orange or lemon zest
1- 4oz package of Chèvre or fresh goat cheese, soft, unflavored
1 1/2 tablespoon creamy honey or greek honey (divided)- I use an opaque, creamy raps flower variety from Germany
1 1/4 tsp whole anise seed (divided)
2 tablespoons pistachios, shelled

Prepare the figs. Remove the tough stem. Slice each fig from the top twice to make an x. Don't cut the entire way through the fig. Open the figs like a flower.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Prepare a small baking dish by lightly spraying it with olive oil or rubbing a very small amount into the bottom. If you want your figs soft, as I liked them, bake them at 325. If you want them crunchy on the outside, preheat the oven to 400 degrees as the Moosewood authors recommend.

Place the cheese in a small mixing bowl. Mix the lemon zest, half of the honey, half of the anise seed into the cheese and mix together. Place into the refrigerator to allow the cheese to become firm if it is too soft to stuff the figs.

Open each fig and place a generous teaspoon of cheese into the middle of each fig flower. Line the figs into the baking dish. Place the pistachios on top, and drizzle with the remaining honey. Sprinkle the remaining anise seed on top. I often rub the anise seed in my hands as I sprinkle to release a pleasant aroma. Place into the oven and bake for 15 mins, or until hot, soft, and aromatic. Serve immediately or at room temperature.