A colourful salad of fresh figs paired with some salty Serrano on a bed of baby greens tastes as good as it looks and takes only minutes to prepare. 

Figs are fascinating little fruits. Native to the middle east,  they are one of the earliest food crops to be cultivated by our ancestors, and they are a super rich source of calcium. If you are interested in learning a bit more about these little gems, check out this very entertaining article on FoodRiot called "Know Your Figgy Facts".

This salad is a little party in your mouth.  I used a mix of baby greens, but I think peppery arugula would be excellent too.  Next time, I think I will add a little crumble goat cheese into the mix as well.  A simple balsamic vinaigrette is all that is needed to finish. 

At Christmas, I was spoiled by my good friend C with a gourmet gift basket containing a couple of products from Liquid Gold, one of my favorite shops in the Hydrostone Market. 

She picked out Cranberry Pear white balsamic vinegar and Peruvian Lime infused olive oil for me, yum!  As soon as I uncorked the bottles and took a whiff, I knew the combination would be delicious.

I was right. 

I tried it as a marinade for chicken, and dressings for numerous salads and been very pleased with the results.

For this salad, I made a simple dressing with 3 parts oil to 1 part balsamic and a tiny blob of Dijon mustard (just enough to emulsify the oil and vinegar), It was absolutely delicious, lots of citrus with a hint of cranberry & pear flavours.

To make this yourself, simply toss a couple of handfuls of baby greens, a slice Serrano ham torn in small pieces, and a fresh fig cut into wedges with this simple dressing for the easiest salad ever.