Figs

[Anneke]

My husband just purchased a box of 20 (+/-) green figs that are now more yellow than green... He got a great deal for them but I'm a not sure there's anything I can do with them, considering that like all figs we get up here, they went from under-ripe to past-their-prime and skipped the flavourful phase in between.

Can I salvage this by cooking them? Any thoughs?

[garlicginger]

In the spirit of "it's better to try something than to let them rot where they are......" Try this with one at a time until you find something that's palatable. Split fig and cook on barbeque or in grill pan. Serve warm with a dollop of whipped cream or sour cream. Chop up (after stemming) and cook in a pot with some sugar, raisins, maybe a little cinnamon for a chutney. Give 'em the Indian treatment - mince and combine with equal parts of celery, red onion or scallion, cucumber and plain yoghurt with a couple pinches of cumin and ground coriander. Maybe some chopped cilantro also. OR - cut in half, roll in granulated sugar, pop into your mouth. If you're a honey lover, use honey instead of sugar.

[cape chef]

Great idea garlicginger.
Also I love to make a fig-port sorbet
cc

[Isa]

How about fig tart?

[shahar]

First thing, any fig that you buy isn't a good example of this wonderful fruit.
It only get sweet on the tree, but when it's ripe it can't keep for more than a day.
I used to work in one country restaurant where a fig tree was growin into the kitchen! Great?! Maybe, the problem are the wasps, they lay their eggs in the male fruits.

Back to question, what I do with semi-sweet figs is to semi-dry them. Put in a low heat oven and dry for an hour. It intensify the flavor and makes them last longer.

[momoreg]

Yum, that sounds good.

[Anneke]

..So here's what I did with the figs: I cooked them up with some wine, balsamic vinegar, a bit of sugar, some thyme and S&P. Kept the mixture in the fridge for day. The next day, I prepared an herb/mustard crusted rack of lamb with roasted tomatoes with thyme oil and a basil mashed potato. I sweated some shallots and made a reduction with wine, bay, thyme and peppercorns, then added the fig mixture and cooked it slowly. I finished with a touch of port and some super-concentrated demi glace that was sitting in my freezer (useful find!). For an improvised sauce, it was a real hit!

I wonder if I could freeze that fig mixture... So many cheap figs in the stores these days...

[Anneke]

Has anyone ever attempted to freeze cooked fig purée?

[momoreg]

Yes, it freezes well. That dish sounds good!

[Athenaeus]

I just read that note. I will try Anneke's recipe for sure!
Just for your records,here is a very easy little recipe I discovered in a book written by the original Athenaeus around 300 AD. He suggests this recipe as a desert in a symposium, just before the talk starts!
Split the figs and squeeze them to make them flat. The original recipe suggests that you should squeeze them until they get really flat but I do not do it because I do not want them to lose their shape completely!
Dry them in the oven in low temperature. Try to keep the peel drier than the "flesh" of the fruit.
When they are ready, sprinkle each piece with chopped roasted almonds and put them back together , by squeezing them a bit!Cut them in four and serve them.

Tell me something. I wonder if you make fig jam? From all the fruit marmelades, this one is my favorite. The queen of marmelades!