By Request...Fig And Toasted Almond Brie

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This was the most requested recipe at the ladies lunch and the easiest to prepare. 

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons water

6 fresh figs, stemmed and quartered

1 (14 ounce) round 4 1/4-inch diameter round Brie cheese

1/2 cup toasted almonds

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract


DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 C).

Heat brown sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar is completely dissolved. Add figs and vanilla, and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in almonds.  Place brie wheel in a baking dish, and pour fig mixture over the top.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until softened but not melted. Serve with crackers or baguette slices.

Recipe Epicurious

Pizza With Caramelized Onions, Figs, Bacon and Blue Cheese

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Sometimes the best recipes come from people who don't cook.  Case in point is my friend Silvia who can't cook but surely knows how to order.  Every time we go to a restaurant,  no matter where in the world, I always end up wishing I had ordered what is on her plate.  She's smug about it,  and practically makes me beg to get a taste of what I wished I had ordered.  She's the one who introduced me to grilled vegetables as an appetizer, hanger steak and potato and sweet potato puree, all favorites now;   and started ordering thin pizzas for lunch and  Veuve Cliquot for cocktails long before they were on my radar.  But then again, she has always been a fan of my cooking and a great buddy with whom to give a dinner party.  The Sous Chef could certainly learn a thing or two from Aunt Sil!

This is one of the recipes she shared with me when I told her I had started baking my own pizzas.

The pizza dough recipe is from Mark Bittman and can be made at the blink of an eye.  You can also purchase ready made dough from Publix Markets, Trader's Joe's or your favorite pizzeria.  Take a look at the video, though, it comes together in no time;   but make sure you buy the quick rising yeast.

Grilled Lamb And Figs On Rosemary Skewers

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Lamb, figs and  rosemary are the ultimate combination and if you throw them on the grill with a little olive oil and garlic you might just think you have died and gone to heaven!

I know from my friend Sandra Jonas that the figs in her garden are almost ready for the table.  When I came across this 2008 recipe from Mark Bittman in the New York Times online I thought enough of it to sacrifice one of my allotted free clicks.  I was not disappointed.

The only suggestions I would offer when making this recipe, is to marinade the lamb in olive oil, garlic and rosemary for an hour or two before grilling.  A small amount of mustard wouldn't hurt either.

Also make sure you skewer the figs separate from the lamb as they take half the time on the grill and you don't want them to get too mushy by overcooking.

Things have been quite busy at the lake with more visitors this weekend and more expected the next. We are up to our ears in peaches and just as I thought I had seen the last for awhile, my daughter showed up yesterday with another dozen. Peach ice cream and jam have been on the menu the last couple of days and I will be delighted to change gears when the figs come to market; although something tells me we haven't seen the last of the peach pies for at least another month!


Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut into chunks
10 to 20 fresh figs
Rosemary branches
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, more or less
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary.


Directions

1. Start a charcoal or wood fire or heat a gas grill; fire should be moderately hot. Thread lamb and figs onto rosemary branches, three or four chunks or figs per skewer. Do not mix meat and figs on same skewer.

2. Brush lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix together the lemon juice, garlic and minced rosemary and brush a little of this mixture on lamb and figs.

3. Grill, turning skewers as each side browns and taking care to avoid flare-ups; total cooking time should be from 6 to 10 minutes for medium-rare meat, and 4 or 5 minutes for the figs. Meat will become slightly more done after you remove it from grill, so take this into account.

Photo: Evan Sung, NYT

Roast Quail With Fresh Figs And Balsamic

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This is the recipe that finally made me break down and buy demi glace.  For those of you who don't know about demi glace, it is the basis of all great sauces. It is traditionally made by combining equal parts of veal stock and sauce espagnole, the latter being one of the five mother sauces of classical French cuisine.  The mixture is then simmered and reduced by half. Wish it were that simple. The process is a long one, long enough for me to encourage you to buy a good demi glace and forget about making it from scratch.  Williams Sonoma has a great product and although it is expensive, it is well worth the cost and it goes a long way.  For most sauces you will only need a tablespoon or two.  Get the veal one, it is the mother of all demi glaces. 

You can also get a less expensive demi glace through Amazon. It is the one I used in this recipe and it is excellent.  It is good for 6 servings.

This recipe is not as much trouble as it looks and most of it can be made the day before.  It is a wonderful main course for a dinner party, one in which you will surely impress your dinner guests.  I would suggest though that you make it for a group of close friends.  This is definitely not for elegant entertaining...you want to be able to get at those little morsels next to the bone and the picture won't be dainty but definitely worth the effort.  I have had quail before at a restaurant and unfortunately was not able to enjoy it to the fullest. This time, I made sure I got every bite and then some!  The stuffing is to die for and can definitely be served  with something else such as cornish hens.

This is your chance to get out your finger bowls and nobody will call you a snob.  They are much needed in a dinner like this and instead of using a pretty flower, I would go straight for a thin slice of lemon.  You will need it to wipe your dainty little fingers after you finish off those birds!

You will find quail at some grocery stores in the frozen meat bin but if you are lucky and live near Atlanta, you can find it fresh at the DeKalb Farmer's Market.  They are tiny little things, so get at least 3 per person. The market also had demi glace at a good price so I hit the jackpot!

Figs before browning

The stuffing

The sauce before the demi glace

After the demi glace...almost done!

The little quails before they went in the oven

Just out of the oven with figs in back

Printable Recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients

For stuffing

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 celery ribs, finely chopped

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

1/3 cup veal demi-glace

2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

1 tablespoon fig balsamic vinegar

3/4 cup chopped walnuts (2 oz)

2/3 cup soft dried Mission figs (1/4 lb), stems discarded and figs finely chopped

1 cup coarse fresh bread crumbs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For figs and sauce

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

1 pt fresh figs, stems discarded and figs halved lengthwise

1/4 cup finely chopped shallot

1/4 cup finely chopped celery

1 cup dry red wine

1 1/3 cups veal demi-glace

1 teaspoon arrowroot or cornstarch

2 tablespoons fig balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For quail

12 semiboneless quail

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Special equipment: kitchen string; wooden picks


Preparation

Make stuffing:

Cook onion, celery, and garlic in butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until pale golden, about 10 minutes. Add demi-glace and boil, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid is evaporated, about 3 minutes. Stir in tarragon, vinegar, walnuts, dried figs, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper, then spread stuffing on a plate to cool.

Prepare figs and make sauce:

Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then brown figs, cut sides down, without stirring, about 3 minutes. Transfer figs to a bowl with a slotted spatula. Add shallot and celery to skillet and sauté, stirring, until golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Add wine and 8 to 10 browned fig halves (reserve remainder) and boil, stirring and mashing figs, until wine is reduced to a syrup, about 5 minutes. Stir in demi-glace and bring to a boil. Stir arrowroot into vinegar until dissolved, then add to skillet, whisking to incorporate. Boil sauce 2 minutes, then pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a 2-quart heavy saucepan, pressing on and then discarding solids. Stir in tarragon, salt, and pepper.

Prepare quail:

Discard any disposable metal skewers from cavity of each quail, then rinse quail inside and out and pat dry. Stuff 1 quail with a scant 1/4 cup stuffing, pressing and shaping it to fill out breast. Tie legs together with string and push legs up against body. Thread cavity closed with a wooden pick. Repeat with remaining quail.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.

Sprinkle quail all over with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon each butter and oil in cleaned 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then brown 6 quail on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer with tongs to a large shallow baking pan. Wipe skillet clean and brown remaining 6 quail in same manner in remaining tablespoon each of butter and oil.

Remove strings and picks from all quail, then roast quail, breast sides up, until just cooked through (check inner thigh —, 20 minutes. Add reserved browned figs to pan for last 2 to 3 minutes of roasting.

While quail roast, return sauce to a simmer, then add remaining 2 tablespoons butter, whisking until incorporated.

Transfer quail and figs to a serving dish and pour any juices from baking pan into sauce. Serve quail with sauce.

Cooks' notes:

Stuffing can be made 1 day ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, then chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before proceeding. Figs and sauce (without remaining 2 tablespoons butter) can be prepared 1 day ahead and cooled, uncovered, then chilled separately, covered. Bring sauce to a simmer before adding butter. Quail can be browned 1 hour before roasting. Keep quail, uncovered, at room temperature.

Wine: A red Burgundy or Oregon Pinot Noir such as Domaine Drouhin

Adapted from Gourmet Magazine
All photos Lindaraxa

Sherry Crema Catalana Ice Cream With Honeyed Figs

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The figs are in and they are plump and juicy! I just had some for lunch with prosciutto and Brie, my favorite summer lunch.  I posted quite a few recipes for figs last year but I had not made this ice cream until last week.  Crema catalana is perfect with figs and when you serve it as an ice cream... well judge for yourself! The mellow, almond flavor of Amontillado Sherry works especially well in this rich, creamy dessert.

Make the crema the day before and freeze overnight.  It never works for me when I freeze just for a few hours. 

The crema catalana ice cream can be accompanied with other fruits but in that case, I would omit the sherry.


Yield: Makes 6 servings


Ingredients

For ice cream

3 cups half-and-half

4-inch strip fresh lemon zest

4-inch strip fresh orange zest

1/2 cinnamon stick

8 large egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup Amontillado Sherry

For figs

12 soft (moist) dried Calimyrna figs (10 oz), tough stems removed and figs halved lengthwise

1 cup Amontillado Sherry

1 cup fresh orange juice

6 tablespoons honey

Garnish: candied orange zest


Preparation

Make ice cream:

Bring half-and-half with lemon and orange zests and cinnamon stick just to a boil over moderate heat. Cover and let stand off heat 25 minutes, then reheat to a simmer. Discard zests and cinnamon stick.

Whisk together yolks, sugar, and Sherry in a large bowl until smooth. Gradually whisk in hot milk mixture. Transfer custard to cleaned saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened enough to coat back of a wooden spoon and an instant-read thermometer registers 170°F.

Pour custard through a fine sieve into a bowl and cover surface with wax paper to prevent a skin from forming. Chill until thoroughly cold, about 3 hours, (I prefer to chill overnight to make sure!). Freeze in an ice-cream maker. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until firm.

Make figs:

Bring figs, Sherry, juice, and honey, covered, to a boil in a small saucepan. Simmer, covered, just until figs are tender, about 40 minutes, then uncover and simmer until liquid is reduced to about 1 cup, about 8 minutes. Cool figs in syrup.

Serve ice cream with honeyed figs and syrup.

Cooks' notes:

·Ice cream can be made 3 days ahead.

·You can also prepare figs 3 days ahead and chill, covered

Source  & photo Gourmet 2000

Goat Cheese Stuffed Figs Wrapped in Prosciutto

Pin It Fresh figs have an incredible flavor, but because they last only about a week after harvest, almost 90% of the world's fig crop is sold as dried fruit. The nutritional value of dried figs is quite impressive. They have the highest fiber and mineral content of all common fruits, nuts or vegetables. They also have as much as 1,000 times more calcium than other common fruits and by weight they actually have more calcium than skim milk.

Figs are 80% higher in potassium than bananas, and are extremely easy to digest. They also have more iron than any other of the common fruits and are extremely high in magnesium. All of this for about 20 to 40 calories per fig. No wonder they are often referred to as "nature's most nearly perfect fruit."

I adore figs, but my family doesn't so when I buy a carton I have to figure out all sorts of way to eat them quickly. Today I had these for lunch hot, but they can also be served fresh, without heating. Take advantage of the fact that they are in season, if only for a short time!!

Serves 2

Ingredients

8 large firm and ripe Mission Figs
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
4 oz fresh goat cheese cut into 1 inch chunks
4-6 slices prosciutto cut into 1/2 in. ribbons


Directions

With a knife, make a cross on top of each fig about an inch deep.This is where you are going to stuff the cheese.

Place the figs, cut side up, on a serving tray. Drizzel each fig with olive oil and springle some salt.

Gently push a chunk of cheese into the center of each fig. Wrap each fig in a ribbon of prosciutto.

If you want to serve warm, place in a 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheese starts to melt. Enjoy!

Baked Figs with Rosemary Honey

Pin It This is dedicated to an old friend from school, a fellow blogger, Tweetter, Westie lover and Francophile like me. She has a design business and publishes a wonderful blog on color and design.

After I posted the fig and prosciutto recipe last week, she mentioned a wonderful sounding dessert that she had eaten in Provence...baked figs with honey and rosemary The idea intrigued me and I searched high and low for a recipe, but none could be found.

Having eaten at many a little restaurant by the side of the road in France, I figured it couldn't be difficult or complicated. Besides, the crux of these wonderful unexpected experiences is not only the quality of the ingredients but also the time, the place, the mood and the unexpected. How many times have you had a magnificent bottle of wine at a restaurant and opened the same at home and were disappointed? Nevertheless, wanting to surprise her and having some figs on hand, I decided to replicate something I had never had before. Bad idea? Not really!

I baked this wonderful dessert tonight (with the oven at 425 degrees and the outside temperature at 95F!) and I must say it was quite good! Although I've never tasted the original nor have the everlasting memories that go with it, I would definitely make it again. They were served warm...I wonder what temperature they were served in Provence...

Black Mission figs was what I had on hand. but you could also use green-skinned Calimyrnas, or both for this dessert. Give the figs a gentle squeeze to check for ripeness; they should be quite soft.


SERVINGS: 4


Ingredients

12 fresh figs
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
4 teaspoons honey
2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 12 pieces
2 tablespoons water
Rosemary Sprigs


Directions

Heat the oven to 425°. Cut the stems off the figs. Rub the oil over the figs and put them in a baking pan, stem-side up. Cut a cross in the top of each fig, cutting almost to the bottom.

Drizzle the honey over the figs. Top each one with a piece of the butter and rosemary. Spread some longer twigs of rosemary in the bottom of pan and drizzle with the honey.

Bake the figs for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven.

Put the figs on plates, add the water to the pan, return the pan to the oven for 1 minute, and then stir to make a sauce.

Drizzle the sauce over the warm figs and serve.

Figs, Prosciutto & St. Andre, A Delightful Combination

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Figs are around for only a short time of the year and when they appear in the supermarket, I have to restrain myself from buying up the whole lot.  I do try to make plenty of fig jam to serve with pates during the year; but nothing compares to fresh figs accompanied with prosciutto and a triple cream.  Add to that a crusty baguette and a glass of Sauternes or Muscat the Beaumes de Venise and you might as well be having lunch in the South of France.

Figs were brought to North America by the Spanish missionaries who came to California to build a network of Catholic missions. They found the climate particularly favorable to growing figs, which resulted in the naming of the purple-black variety known as the Black Mission. Other figs can be used for this recipe, including the large, fat, white-fleshed, green-skinned Calimyrna, and the small, thick-skinned, green Kadota. Or consider an assortment of all three. Me? The Black Missions are my favorite, but I'll take anything with the word fig, before or after.

This makes for a wonderful light lunch or first course.




Ingredients:


1/3 cup crème fraîche

2 tsp. chopped fresh mint, plus mint sprigs for garnish

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

2 to 3 tsp. milk

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

12 ripe figs, a single variety or a mixture

6 oz. St.-André or other triple-cream cheese, such as Explorateur, cut into 12 wedges

3 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto


Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk together the crème fraîche, chopped mint, lemon juice and as much of the milk as needed to form a thick, creamy consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Halve the figs and arrange them on individual plates or a platter. Intersperse the wedges of cheese among the figs. Drape the prosciutto around the figs and drizzle with the crème fraîche mixture. Garnish with mint sprigs and serve. Serves 6.