First post in this lovely community. Hopefully, since I've gotten my video camera back which fortunately can take stills, it won't be my only one.

Tonight's focal point was the chèvre. Oh yes, I tell you, the chèèèèèèèvre.

( I could make a joke about goatse but I won't )

Ahhh, help!

So, the other day I commented on the fig post about how we never get figs here, ever, or anything interesting, and as soon as I went to the store today, not only did they have figs, but they were buy-one-get-one-free. Tada. I'm going to a potluck-style dinner party tonight so I decided I had to make them.

I'm also making chicken lettuce wraps, and the brioche is in the oven.. and so now I'm wondering..

I've found two sorts of styles for figs I'm interested in, and I was wondering which you would choose. Besides what I'm bringing, the only other thing I know for sure we're having is some sort of pasta, since the hostess just moved back from Italy. So..

Fresh figs stuffed with goat cheese and drizzled with peppered honey?

or

Fresh figs stuffed with goat cheese and wrapped in prosciutto?


I've got some great prosciutto on hand, as well as some fantastic local honey, but I just can't decide. Tell me tell me

Starting with homemade french bread:

( Read more... )

( poached figs with cranberries, raisins and walnuts )

PS: apologies for the blank photo in the previous post - wasn't sure what had happened so I deleted it and I'll try reposting again later. :)

yesterday i made the most fabulous cookies
i found this recipe in a woman's day magazine a couple years ago
originally they call for apricot preserves, but i didn't have any and used fig preserves instead
the dough is really strange, just butter flour salt and cottage cheese
i've never used cottage cheese in a dough, and was a little hesitant to try it
but i am SOOO so glad i did
it makes a suuuper flaky dough, almost puff pastry like, it's soo light, and with the preserves and icing, it adds just the right amount of sweetness
these are one of my favorite cookies now, which is crazy for me because i've never had a chocolate-less favorite
haha
recipe and picture under cut!

( Read more... )

The American Harvest Workshop at Cakebread Cellars I attended last week was all about the best foods and wines in the country and those who know me understand that I would rather take photos of my meals than my surroundings. So this is the "What I Ate In Napa Valley" post. I hope it looks even a smidge as good as it tasted, because this was world-class. I have been drooling over these for days, editing and remembering.

Part of the excellence was the quality of the products. Vendors supplied organic and unusual products from all over the valley, which, as I understand it, has a Jack-and-the-Beanstalk quality for growers. They drop in a seed, out comes something magnificent.

I've included food writing on my resume for more than two years now and the meals at the workshop, whether a simple group lunch or a four-hour, seven-course dinner extravaganza, will go down in my gastronomic diary as some of the finest I've ever had the pleasure of eating.

I could not stop clicking pictures of the wonderful artistry around me. So now I share with you four days of nonstop indulgence and true food porn.

Large sea scallops on roasted corn with chili oil and microcilantro.


( Food orgy! Wine galore! Click here! )

I've noticed figs in my porn lately:

Turkey and swiss on garlic buttered flatbread with fig relish. (museum cafe where I often lunch)

Roast pork loin with baked goat cheese with fig chutney (restaurant in Atlanta)

Skewer of duck with goat cheese and fresh figs (another restaurant in Atlanta)

Anyone else see a figgish trend?

By a stroke of total luck, I came upon a friend that had a fig tree in her yard. She and her family hardly ever ate them and asked if I would mind taking some off their hands. Would I?! But of course! I don't think she was prepared for the oohing and ahhing at some of the precious little jewels I plucked from the branches. To be honest, I think she was a bit weirded out. But really, what's wrong with picking figs at 2am with nothing but a grocery bag and a flashlight to guide you?

( The fruits of my labor )

So worse than a pregnant woman Im having a craving for fig bars and a dessert called Killer Zebras
    Anyone got any favorite recipes?

Not to rub your noses in it, but we've got figs coming out of our ears. We have to shovel the driveway every couple of days to get rid of all those that have fallen uneaten!

Today's use of figs - Grits topped with figs, shaved parmesan, and olive oil. For breakfast.

Other prime events - Arugula salad with figs, grilled chicken and blue cheese. Dinner a couple of nights ago. Last nights fig/proscuitto/basil/mozzarella pizza....

Does anyone have favorite uses of figs I might be overlooking? Perhaps something with a nice boneless pork loin chop? Or fish? (things I know we have in the freezer) One note - I love 'em fresh, and can merely tolerate them dried....

With many thanks to viggen9. 
My husband created a most excellent pizza dough, which we topped with fresh mission figs (from our nieghbor's prolifically producing tree), shredded "smoked German proscuitto" (It came from Trader Joe's....I'm not sure what to make of it's origin, but it's tasty), basil chiffonade, fresh mozzarella, and a drizzling of McEvoy olive oil after baking.


Apologies in advance if this photo is mis-sized - I uploaded directly from photobucket, and I'm not sure how to tell what size it is....


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I LOVE fresh figs! right now for lunch I'm having a handful of fresh figs, some slices of Brie, a baguette and a salad made of fresh tomatoes, basil and mozarella (mmmm! I'll probably have it for lunch again tomorrow...I'll have to bring in my camera so I can make some porn for you all!)

Anyway, as I'm eating these lovely figs, I wondered...can I freeze fresh figs? I know you can get dried figs throughout the year...but that's just not the same obviously. I want a fresh fig in the middle of December....so can I freeze them and still have them taste fresh? or will it just go mushy when I thaw it?

Asiago, Prosciutto, Fig Salad We've been eating well, and also eating lots of fresh figs. This was last night's improvisational chop salad of sorts. It's a spinach salad with asiago cheese, prosciutto ham and fresh mission figs, with a light vinaigrette. Tonight we had a delicious New York strip steak with port fig reduction and shallot gorgonzola butter. Sorry, I don't have any pictures of that. We ate it straight away.

I have missed the market. After three weeks of absence I finally made it this weekend. Mired in the real world I forgotten how good it is to be able to touch and smell and pick amongst the fresh produce. The farmers market is a delight of scent, sounds and tastes. Because the vendors want you to taste their wares, I always eat a light breakfast.

I am becoming enough of a regular that some vendor recognize me. If not by name that at least by what I like to get. The bakery where I pick up the most delightfull loaves of bread and tender rolls, had already bagged my order when she saw me approaching. Their garlic spin bread is incredible for sandwiches. It toasts wonderfully and is just dense enough to stand up to any filling without be woody.

The seasons are changing. And though it feels like summer, it falls through my finers in the form of decrementing summer fruit. The strawberries are all but gone and those that are left are under ripe and expensive. I am begining to appreciate the cyclical nature, delighting as each new fruit or vegetable comes into season. Though I suppose it is different in California that in most places as we have two growing seasons for a lot of different produce. Still, there are not as many peaches and nectarines. No more cherries. In their place are grapes, the first apples of the season, and figs. The later plump and full, heavy to the touch and sinfully sweet.

( Come see what's in my basket )

I've been waiting for about a year to make this tart - waiting for some visitors to give me an excuse to make it, to coincide with figs being in season. But it was worth the wait. The flavours are really interesting together - the rosemary, mascarpone, lemon and fig - and delicious!

The recipe

photo behind the cut.
( Read more... )

Of all the good food I've been cooking this weekend, one thing made my eyes go wide with "WOW!" when I tasted it. You guys need this recipe.
( Nothing to do with mushrooms )