I just love figs.

They are incredibly healthy for you, they contain lots of potassium, iron, fibre, calcium and antioxidants! Figs also aids digestion and soothes the gut.  Need I say more?

If you are lucky enough to have a fig tree in your garden then you may end up with a glut of them so this is a scrumptious recipe to use them up.  If you don’t have a tree, it’s worth it to purchase some figs and you can use up any type of late summer vegetable compliment this tray bake.

Handy tip: Remember to save you odds and ends of the veggies and herbs for your ‘stock box’ so you can turn into a broth later.

Roasted Pork & Fig with Late Summer Vegetables Tray Bake

You Will Need:
Clean hands

Chopping board and knife

Large oven tray lined or greased with olive oil

Wooden spoon / flipper

Frying pan

Tongs 

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 pork chops (or adjust to amount you have to cook)

Carrots - I used 10 whole baby carrots with tops mostly all cut off or 2 - 3 large carrots diced into thick slices

3 medium potatoes, skin on cut into wedges
(swap for pumpkin, parsnip, kumara if preferred)

2 onions, I used brown, peeled and quartered 

4 fresh figs, quartered

2 - 3 tbsp of balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp of olive oil

Sprig of fresh thyme or rosemary
(works fine with dried herbs too) 

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 200’C on fan bake.

Take the pork chops out of the fridge and coat both sides with olive oil and salt. Set aside whilst preparing the vegetables.

Add all the vegetables to the baking tray spreading out evenly, except the figs.

Strip the leaves from the thyme or rosemary (and pop the stalks in your stock box).

Scatter these leaves over the vegetables and add olive oil, season well, and mix thoroughly.

Roast off in the oven for 20 minutes.

Heat your fry pan to a medium to high heat and sear the chops off, browning them nicely.

Remove the vegetables from the oven and nestle your seared chops into the vegetables, set aside.

Return the frying pan to the heat on medium, add the honey and balsamic vinegar ensuring you mix this in with the scrapings from the seared chops.

Pour this over the pork  and vegetables, gently mixing through well.

Roast off in the oven for another 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and place the figs throughout the pan, ensuring to scoop up some of the balsamic & honey sauce to ‘baste’ over the figs so that they will caramelize.

Return to the oven and roast off for another 10 minutes, checking the pork is cooked by inserting a knife and that juices come out clear.

Serve on its own or with a simple green salad, and a chardonnay goes well!