# Figs!



## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

The figs are here the figs are here!!! Gosh what took them so long???? I must admit that I enjoy these little purples ones here so much more than the ones I find straight off our organic trees in the mediterranean that are in season in August. They're sweeter and milder.

So imagine my delight when I walked to the produce shop to find a whole display of figs. Can't wait to get to the farmer's market on Wednesday.

Immediately I have begun my favorite snack. Figs wrapped in proscuitto. I can eat a million of 'em. Gonna make salad too and eat them plain, maybe try a blue cheese souffle served with figs that Tyler turned me on to.

What are you doing with your figlets?


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## shel (Dec 20, 2006)

Well, I love figs - big ones. little ones, black, brown, purple, green ... There's a fig tree in my back yard .... mmmm! Anyway, here are a few ideas:

*Fresh Figs with Orange, Ginger Sauce*: You'll need about a dozen fresh figs, a cup of fresh-squeezed orange juice (organic valencias are nice and juicy), a tablespoon of finely chopped fresh ginger, and one star anise.

Cut the figs open lengthwise. Simmer OJ, ginger, and star anise together on med-high heat for about 20 minutes, or until volume is reduced by half.
Strain sauce, discarding all but liquid. Drizzle sauce over figs. The sauce can be chilled before serving with the figs.

You want the sauce to be the consistency of light syrup when done. Check the taste as it reduces. If it does not reduce long enough it will taste weak and flat, and it won't coat the figs. It will get thicker as it cools if you decide to serve it cold.

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*From my friend Christine*: If you love figs, try this one:

6 ripe figs
6 slices prosciutto or Parma ham
Healthy handful fresh basil, torn
6 small balls buffalo mozzarella, torn

Dressing:
1 tablespoon good honey (orange blossom is nice)
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
Sea/Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut a criss-cross in the figs, but not quite to the bottom; then, using your thumb and forefinger, squeeze the base of the fig to reveal the inside. Place the figs on a large plate and weave 1 piece of prosciutto or Parma ham around each fig. Add the torn basil leaves and the buffalo mozzarella. Drizzle over the honey, making sure each fig has some in the middle, then drizzle the olive oil, lemon juice and add salt and pepper, or mix all the dressing ingredients together in a bowl and season to tase, and then drizzle everything with the dressing.

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*Filled Figs *make a great dessert, and a nice nibble at parties. Something a little different yet easy and quick to make. Using 24 soft, dried figs, an ounce or so your favorite dark chocolate, and about 1/3 cup of ground almonds - snip the stem from the figs and pull open the figs to form a cavity in the center. Mix the chocolate and ground almonds together, and fill each cavity as full as possible with the mixture, but don't over fill. Put the figs on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in a pre-heated 350-degree F oven for five minutes. Turn the figs and bake another 5-minutes. Remove figs from oven and let cool. They can then be stored and eaten later. 

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Cooking Light did a seven or eight page spread of fig recipes from Joanne Weir. I think this is the article: http://www.joanneweir.com/pdfs/weirartifigs.pdf If it's not the article, let me know, and I'll send you a copy.

And, last but not least, here's a little salad that I put together when figs are at their peak:  Figs, Walnuts, and Spinach Salad


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

Your friend's recipe sounds an awful lot like:

Jamie Oliver - Recipes - the easiest sexiest salad in the world

The orange juice reduction I am a bit fearful of... I have found that when I reduce orange juice on the stovetop it gets a little bitter. Not sure how to avoid it.

Glad to see others are enjoying these little suckers too.


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## shel (Dec 20, 2006)

It does. I never asked Chrissy where she got the recipe ... Maybe Jamie got it from her. Anyway, there it is to be enjoyed by anyone.


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## oregonyeti (Jun 16, 2007)

I love fresh figs, yum :roll:. My favorites are the green ones, but then how can I compare since I've never had fresh purple ones . . .

For other than fresh, my favorite is Syrian fig jam I've had. I don't have a recipe. It has sesame seeds in it.


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## m brown (May 29, 1999)

1988, Bath,England

fresh figs in fresh triple cream. 

that's it .

the end.

the best.

can't be beat.

next season, 

Texas figs with fresh cream (cows down the street)- lets see if it works!

Fresh figs and fresh cream are a match made in heaven!

wait, fresh figs, the perfect food......!

I do share the love of figs.


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## bazza (Apr 2, 2007)

A great vegetarian dish is baked figs on a puff pastry base with goat's cheese.

And talking of cheese, fig chutney is delicious.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

What's triple cream and where can I get some!!!

Yes I've heard of goat cheese being good with it too. Must try but don't know much about goat cheese to buy some. The choices are overwhelming.


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## ishbel (Jan 5, 2007)

I haven't heard of triple cream, only double, but maybe it's clotted cream?


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## shel (Dec 20, 2006)

Triple-cream cheese is cheese which contains more than 75% butterfat which is about 40% fat overall. Here is a compendium of some triple-cremes. It should be noted that a local company, Rouge et Noir, has produced an award winning Triple Crème Brie. It's really good, and not very expensive. Worth a try if you can find it.

Triple Cremes at igourmet.com

Do you not have any decent cheese shops in your area? If you do, hie thee to one and sample some goat cheeses. Or log on to Murray's Cheese  in NYC and see what they carry. Igourmet above probably has lots of goat cheese as well. See if you can locate some goat cheese from Laura Chenel or Cypress Grove and try it, see what you think, and then let us know. Maybe we can recommend some others based on what you think of the samples you've tried.

Since I don't know where you're located, I can't recommend any locations where you can find goat cheese, but Whole Foods and Trader Joes carry it. The last I checked, the TJ brand was made by Laura Chenel, but that's here in Calif. Might be different elsewhere.


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## bazza (Apr 2, 2007)

Yes you are right, I would go for a mild one that melts easily.


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## irish foodie (Sep 16, 2008)

i had a delicious dish in a restaurant here recently. foie gras with toasted brioche and roasted figs. it went so very well together.


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## m brown (May 29, 1999)

triple cream may have been the name given by a chef to fresh, super fatty cream.
at the time, i would wager, it wasn't pasturized.

good times.


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## ishbel (Jan 5, 2007)

MBrown - we have single, whipping, double and extrathick double cream and the creme de la creme....

TADAAAAAAA (look and DROOOOOL!)

Rodda's clotted cream
Cornish Clotted Cream Products - Rodda's Clotted Cream

Sounds to me like it might have been either the extrathick double or the above elixir.. - well less of an elixir - as it almost refuses to come off the spoon when serving it!

I was SURE you weren't talking about goat's cheese...!


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## masterchief (Sep 4, 2008)

*Glazed Figs with Mascarpone, vanilla & heavy Cream 
*


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