FIGS!

Can you believe it! We had this a few hours ago as a sunday lunch. Regional slightly smoked ham, regional cheese "Herve" a bit stinky, Chaumes style cheese and fresh figs. Ehmmm, don't do smoked ham, too strong against the figs. Ah well, next time better.

Figs are one of my favourite fruits.

I'm off to Greece again in a couple of weeks - can't wait!

I have a neighbour with a couple of fig trees, and yes, they're Greek! but this year, I was sad to see the figs all fell to the ground & sidewalk, squashed.  No one picked them! Next year, I'll ask if I can harvest them.

My favourite way to prepare figs, after eating lots fresh, is canning them. That way, I can have them on oatmeal, with pork dishes, lots of ways all winter. 

I have one fig tree in my garden, planted in a corner, against a 12 ft drystone wall.  Most years, the figs start to ripen, but not enough before cold weather and they fall at the first hard frosts!

I cut them in half, put on a bed of rughetta (rucola, rocket), pieces of taleggio and of sheep ricotta, some basil leaves, and a dressing of olive oil, honey, salt and pepper

try it, it's so simple.  I got it from Plenty by Ottolenghi

Kouk, siduri,

  Just gave the neighbor kids a couple of bucs to pick me a buchel of figs yesterday. Our golf course has many fig trees and varieties.

I will put up the browns tomorrow at the shop. They are on their last legs. But so sweet the stem has basically disappeared.

 The maltos are also ready. Their window is very small. Got to get em early. We have friends who invite themselves over for figs.

I will steal Siduris method. Almost obscene.

I only like Tihitian vanilla beans when makeing home made vanilla ice cream. I stack the figs in regular old chinese bamboo steamers.

I use a simple syrup, honey ,and chablis. Put the figs on the soften ice cream and drizzle with the best balsamic you can find.

Oh my!

I just have to add. Figs are great smoked. When cooled you dip them in a boiled sugar coating. OMGoodness If you use a dipping fork and complete the seal,

they can last a while and get even better. That's from Ives Thuries. The most incredible chef in the world.Well my mentor.LOL

The only way I keep my post to 50 words is to cut of one hand! Inside joke. Luv figs

Oh,

Find a source. The ricotta is semi hard and is not really pure but very open to absorbing flavors. We crumble it like feta on pasta and what not.

Tellagio should be plentiful.

Actually, Panini, here sheep's ricotta is just regular fresh ricotta made with sheep milk instead of cow's.  It's tastier, not tangier, but not sheepy tasting either.  The harder one is another type of sheep ricotta, more compact and has aged a bit.  Forget what they call it here - you use it in spaghetti alla norma (eggplant sauce) i believe. 

Many years ago in abbruzzo when we went for a vacation there in a small town (Ovindoli) - its rolling high plains covered in sweet-smelling grasses is one of the most beautiful and peaceful places I've been - there was a woman who would make it in her driveway squatting by a gas ring, and would scoop it directly into the strainers and sell it hot.  Oh my god.  I have never tasted anything like it.  It was good all on its own. 

But that's another story.  

A new ice cream place opened up here and they have the best italian ice cream I've tasted (I actually prefer good american to the italian, I like the prevalence of cream in American ice cream, but this one makes it creamy).  I've been blessed by the heavens that this place is only a ten minute walk from here.  This is the only place that i would consider getting anything but chocolate ice cream - they make a caramelized fig and ricotta ice cream that is just amazing.  Panini, you might want to experiment. 

Koukouvagia, i'd say the closest to taleggio you could find would be camembert.  I imagine a gorgonzola would work, and also Ottolenghi suggests a fresh pecorino (not too aged) but sharp cheese would be good too. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ishbel 

I have one fig tree in my garden, planted in a corner, against a 12 ft drystone wall.  Most years, the figs start to ripen, but not enough before cold weather and they fall at the first hard frosts!

I, too, have one fig tree in my garden, but I'm somewhat luckier than you, living in a hotter climate: the figs start to ripen, but not enough before the squirrels and birds eat them all. 
 

I've come to the conclusion that the only solution is to pick them before they are fully ripe and let them in the sun on the kitchen table for a couple more days before eating them. They are absolutely delicious though, the squirrels know what's good. 

I really want to make a duck breast dish with figs, but haven't come around to it yet. 

Recently I wrote on this forum that my favorite source for recipes are food magazines. Yesterday, I bought a few french magazines in France. In one of them there's a special on "La figue". This is why I like magazines as a recipe source; A. they work around seasonal food, B. they restyle classic recipes into contemporary versions and C. they create totally new recipes. All of that in just a few pages with fantastic pictures to go with.

These are the recipes. Since it sounds better, I give them in french as they are mentioned in Saveur - Le magazine de l'art de vivre gourmand - sept./oct. 2011

- Salade de figues, chips de serrano et tuiles de parmesan (wine suggestion; arbois rouge)

- Filet de bar rôti au parme et aux figues (wine suggestion; pineau d'Aunis)

- Magret de canard grillé, figues au vin rouge et navets fondants (wine suggestion; irouléguy rouge)

- Crottins de chèvre panés, figues fondantes au miel (wine suggestion; savennières)

- Confiture de figues à l'orange

- Figues marinées au Gewurztraminer

- Tarte fine aux figues et l'amande (wine suggestion; Vouvray demi-sec)

- Figues rôties au caramel de porto, crème anglaise à la cardemome (wine suggestion; Gewurztraminer d'Alsace)

How does that sound?

Oh, I forgot to mention in my first post. Figs don't grow in my country. Same problem as Ishbel mentioned. The ones I used are storebought at... 1€ per piece. Ah well.

KKV; I stole plenty on my walks from Fodele beach to Fodele village. They came free of charge.