Fig and Cherry Tomato Mosaic with Goat Cheese Herb Crema

Name: Fig and Cherry Tomato Mosaic with Goat Cheese Herb Crema
Prep time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: FOR THE PEPITAS PATÉ:; 1 1/3 cups raw pepitas (pumpkin seed kernels); 1/3 cup pistachios; ½ cup finely chopped chives; 1 cup finely chopped cilantro; 1/3 cup lemon juice; Zest of 1 lemon; ½ teaspoon sea salt; 10 grinds black pepper; FOR THE FIG AND TOMATO MOSAIC:; 2 tablespoons Pepitas Paté; 4 tablespoons soft goat cheese; 4 green figs — sliced into thin disks; 4 mission figs — sliced into thin disks; 20 cherry tomatoes — sliced into thin disks; Juice of 1 lemon; 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 20 small basil leaves; Coarse sea salt; Black pepper

By Pascale Beale

Updated July 2026

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Fig and Cherry Tomato Mosaic with Goat Cheese Herb Crema

Photography by Pascale's Kitchen Studio

Total Time 45 minutes

Difficulty Medium

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 0

Cherry tomatoes are like tiny jewels. Their myriad shapes and colors are so tempting that they're hard to resist. Every farmer at our local market had simultaneously put their best fruit on display on one particular Saturday. I came home with a cacophony of cherry tomatoes and small succulent figs. What to make with all this fruit? A salad was the obvious choice, but with what? I searched in my fridge for inspiration and saw that I had some pepitas paté left and some goat cheese. I decided to mash the two together to form a paste, on top of which I arranged the sliced tomatoes. I loved the mosaic effect of the assorted varieties, and the herb-goat cheese paste is the delectable surprise that awaits you when you dig into the dish.

Preparation

1
To make the pepitas pate: Chop the pepitas and pistachios in a food processor fitted with a metal blade for 2 minutes to create a coarse paste. Scrape down the sides before adding the chives and cilantro. Blitz for 1 minute. The mixture will look bright green. Scrape down the sides again. Then, with the motor running, pour in the lemon juice and olive oil and pulse until just combined. Season with the salt and pepper. Pack the paté into a mason jar or small bowl. Keep refrigerated. It will last for 7-10 days.
2
Mash the pepitas paté and goat cheese together in a small bowl. Cover the center of four small plates with a thin layer of the mash using the back of a spoon or small palette knife.
3
Place the larger fig and tomato slices over the mash, then cover with the smaller slices to create the mosaic effect. Dot the surface with the small basil leaves.
4
Whisk the lemon juice and olive oil together in a small bowl. Spoon a little vinaigrette over the fruit, then season it with a pinch of salt and a dusting of ground pepper.

This recipe is featured in FLAVOUR: Savouring the Seasons-Recipes From The Market Table and also in Let The Ingredients Do The Talking, an article written for Edible Santa Barbara - Summer 2026

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Fig and Cherry Tomato Mosaic with Goat Cheese Herb Crema

Preparation

From Pascale's Kitchen Shop

Sel de Guerande (Small)

Flavour—Savouring The Seasons: Recipes From The Market Table

Arbequina Estate Olive Oil

Letters from the Market Table