Guilty pleasures

Ok Ok, it's gotten to this. Last week I had deemed I just wasn't going to finish this post, I had even crossed it of my "Must post" list. But I have the guilts, I promised.

So here it is.

My Pick for February (Erhh!) recipes

Frangipane, fig and raspberry tart

This tart is actually quite quick and easy to make. I used some pre-made pastry that I blind baked flat onto a tray, like a square pizza but you could do it a bit more conventionally if you like with pretty fluted edges in a tart pan.

I just made this up as I went along from the idea of a basic fruit tart with a moist frangipane base.

Figs - the honey and black styles look great together
Raspberries
slivered almonds -untoasted

Frangipane
100g butter
120g caster sugar
200g almond meal (ground almonds)
2 eggs
4 tbsp brandy or a matching fruit liqueur - I used half brandy and half Chambord (a French wild raspberry liqueur)

To make the frangipane
Cream together the butter and sugar, then add the almond meal, eggs and brandy

To make the tart
Blind bake* your pastry base
Spread the frangipane over the base of the tart and then decorate with the figs and raspberries. I liked the look of the figs so left them chunky in quarters but you could also play around and slice then and make a stylised arrangement.
Sprinkle with the slivered almonds and bake in a moderate oven until golden brown and the fruit has started to seep a little.
Serve with a dollop of double cream, perhaps whipped with some extra Chambord

*Blind baking is were you cook off the pastry before the filling is put on top, this ensures that it is cooked though and crispy at the same time as the filling. Just simply line the chilled pastry with baking paper and top with some rice or dried beans, so as to weigh the pastry down. Bake in a moderate oven until it is light brown. Remove the baking paper and rice and you are ready to go.

Fig and star anise jam (or is it more like compote?)
Star anise is a heady, fragrant spice that is an elegant match with sweet honey figs. I'm not sure exactly what to call this, I didn't use a thermometer or anything chefy, I just cooked it until the consistency was right. I deliberately left the fruit quiet large, as I like my jam chunky, I want to actually see the fruit.

Figs - as many as you can handle
raw sugar - a third of the weight of the figs
two star anise wheels
lemon zest and juice - try about half a lemon per kg of figs

Cut the figs into quarters or eights
Toss with sugar, star anise and zest in a large saucepan
Gently bring the figs to a simmer with the lid on, discard the star anise
Remove the lid and cook without stirring until it is a little pulpy and the juice is thick and jammy
Add the half the lemon juice and taste, its should be sweet but with a slight tang and a fragrant hint of the anise
Spoon into a sterilised jar and chill

We have nearly finished the figs now. I have enjoyed them on crumpets with some goats curd, the sweet and savoury combo made me think of dessert, yet this is a perfectly healthy breakfast.

Fortunately, I am still seeing figs at my local grocer, so there is plenty of time to enjoy them in these ways or hundreds of others.
What a relief, I'll sleep easier tonight having these figs off my mind.

The highs and the lows of a week

I've had a bit of a tough week.
Until yesterday I was still sulking.

I took this picture of that fig tree I have had my eye on.



Planning that the next day I would very discretely aquire my bounty, BUT I the next day I found this. (sorry it was windy and the my images look like a drunk person took them)
The possums had struck!

So I have been sulking, until the others started to ripen and I had renewed hope...

I decided not to risk the fruit over night again and picked it, though it was not totally that dark bruised purple colour I would want from this type of ripe fig. But I just could not risk being that picky.

And then my boundy was realised, and I remembered why I was desperately stalking these poor figs. This truely is the most amazing tree, the fruit has a intense level of sweetness, yet it has a high level of acid and a fleshy firm textured seed crunch. The fig was heavy and full of tiny blooms, not somewhat hollow as some can be.

These really are the most intense fruit. I am uncertain if they are so remarkable because they are so fresh or whether it is the specific type of fig, but it was started a new stake out in my mind... one for a tree trimming.
(And I'd probably ask this time, I'm a terrible thief. I've been paranoid that my neighbour is on to me for days.)
I wonder if I could sprout a small trimming and then plant my own amazing fig tree, I'm not sure if it works this way.
Any hints?
Jack

Figs - My Pick for February

My love of whatever is 'good' at the market, has lead me to start this series of posts; 'My Pick'.
I find that when a favourite produce is newly available at the market with the change of a season I can't get enough, I can end up eating the same component over and over. The seasonal produce is always, fresh and in good condition, inexpensive and readily available.
So what I'd like to do is over the month create a few dishes from the same feature ingredient, if you have one to share, I'd welcome you to get involved as well.

So for February, My Pick is Figs

Figs are one of those flexible ingredients that when they are in season I become torn, I can think of the perfect entree, main course and dessert to incorporate them into yet, I can't have them for every course -or could I?
Figs are actually a tiny cluster of flowers inside a soft pod, techically not a fruit, they are in season late summer and early autumn in Melbourne.
The two types of figs above are the main ones I see at the markets, they go by a variety of names but roughly something like black fig or genoa for the larger purple-y ones and honey or white fig for the smaller lime green ones. I also love the little bite size 'wild figs' that you can buy semi dried, in the dry goods section. These are often imported but you can also get some fantastic quality ones from South Australia.

Baked black figs with gorgonzola dolce and Parma prosciutto
I served three of these figs with a small salad of tangelo segments, shaved baby fennel and some wild rocket as a main course.
Cut the figs into quarters and stuff with a generous wedge of gorgonzola, gently form into the fig shape again and roll in a little blanket of prosciutto. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and a grind of white pepper. I find you don't need to salt these as the cheese and ham gives plenty of seasoning to the fig.
Bake in a slow to moderate oven until the prosciutto is crispy and the cheese is hot and molten.Rest the figs for a few minutes after the oven, so as to not burn your tongue as soon as you taste how good they are.
Jack

NB Don't worry, I have not forgotten about the fig stake out, its sooo still on, just nothing seems to be happening at the moment, immediately upon the first signs of ripening, you'll know.