Fig, Walnut & Goat Cheese Spread with Balsamic Reduction

I had this incredible fig preserve at my friend age's durkssundaydinner.blogspot.com and I have had figs on the brain for a month now. So I figured wip up a nice rustic spread.

I racked my brain for possible fig partners, until I remembered a delicious fig and goat cheese pizza I saw Giada Delarentis make. I also wanted some sort of salty element to compliment the sweet figs and earthy goat cheese. I decided to add some walnuts...ummm delish! I toasted them, chopped them and salted them lightly. I cut the figs in quarters and let them sit in boiling water for 5 minutes to plump up. You can also soak them in port wine but it does turn the figs dark red,delish. Then I simply added 1/2 cup of sour cream to the cheese to make it more spreadable and then spread the goat cheese mixture on the bottom of a pretty plate and sprinkled the figs and walnuts on top of the goat cheese and then garnished the top with a fresh thyme sprig and ground black pepper! I sliced and lightly toasted a bagette and served that on the side. Ohhhhhh....but there is more.................

The Balsamic & Brown Sugar Reduction
1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar, 1/4 to 1/2 cup of brown sugar

Bring vinegar to a boil, turn down the heat and let it simmer. When it reduces halfway, add brown sugar. Simmer some more until it becomes syrupy and sticks to the back of a wooden spoon. As it cools it will thicken.