To be sure, we are not talking about the dried figs out there in the market, I am referring to the summer when they are plenty, delicious, sweet and oh, so yummy! We are so fortunate to have our own fig tree in the yard, but for years when we lived closed to the mainland, we would have to drive in (1 hour plus) shop for the figs and drive back to serve these delicious fruits at our breakfast for guests at our B & B. I could not get any grocery store to bring them in. Anyway, here we go –
- 6 firm figs, washed, quartered and coarsely chopped
- 1 finely chopped shallot (or not)
- 1/2 cup nicoise olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped basil
Mix together in a bowl and set aside.
- 1 baguette, sliced thin and lightly toasted
- fresh mozzarella cheese (not processed/slices)
On each slice of toasted bread, place a thin slice of cheese and top with the tapenade. Oh my, this is sooooo good. The sweetness of the fig and the saltiness of the olives really works together.
*our children gave us the fig tree as a house warming gift due to the fact we love them so much.
Tenderloin With Figs and Shallots
This recipe uses beef tenderloin and pairs beautifully with the figs.
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp. pink peppercorns, coarsely cracked*
- 1 tbsp. green peppercorns, coarsely cracked*
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 – 2 1/2 lbs. premium beef tenderloin, center cut, tied
- 6 whole fresh figs, cut in half
- 16-18 small shallots, peeled
- 1 cup ruby port
- 1/4 cup fig balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp. fresh thyme, minced
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold, cubed
- salt and pepper (freshly ground)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Rub 1 tbsp. olive oil, cracked pepper and salt over the tenderloin.
Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in an ovenproof medium sized skillet on high heat. Sear the meat on all sides for 1 minute per side. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with foil.
Using the same skillet, add 1 tbsp. olive oil and sear the fig halves for 2 minutes per side until caramelized. Remove and reserve with the tenderloin.
Again, using the same skillet (one pan meal?) add 1 tbsp. olive oil and add the shallots, cooking for 8-10 minutes until soft. Add the port, balsamic vinegar, thyme and bring to a boil.
Place the tenderloin on top of the shallots and set the figs around the tenderloin. Place in the middle of the oven and cook for 50-65 minutes or until desired doneness. For medium-rare, bring the internal temperature to 140 F degrees or if to a medium doneness, 160F degrees.
Remove the tenderloin and figs and tent with foil. Bring the remaining sauce to a boil and reduce to 1/2 cup. Whisk in the butter and lightly season with salt and pepper. Slice the tenderloin in 6 pieces and plate each one equally with figs and shallots and spoon the sauce over the tenderloin.
OMG! This is so tasty. You will want to run out and buy another tenderloin to repeat this.
* to coarsely crack the peppercorns, use a mortar and pestle or if you don’t have one, place in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin.
Fig Upside Down Cake
Okay, okay…we do have our own fig tree but you can buy them at the market and they are truly fabulous, raw, baked, whatever. I love them. When we operated our Bed and Breakfast, we would drive into Vancouver to the Granville Island Market, buy some and then return home. No one grocery store would bring them in, which is too bad.
- 1 1/2 lbs. fresh figs, stemmed and quartered
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 oz. butter, room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 1/4 cups flour, sifted
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tbsp. finely chopped crystallized ginger
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 cup whole milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix the figs with the sugar. In a cast iron skillet, melt 1/2 of the butter and saute for 2 minutes.
For the batter, cream the remaining butter and brown sugar. Stir in the eggs, one at a time. Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.
Combine the vanilla and milk. Add the flour mixture and milk to the egg mixture. Mix well. Fold in the ginger, combining well. Pour this over the figs and bake in the oven for about 40 minutes until the cake is a golden colour and pulls slightly away from the edges of the skillet.
Cool for about half an hour and invert onto a large platter.
When serving, be sure to add a generous dollop of sweetened whipping ceam or ice cream.
I know, you can’t stop eating it. You are so welcome.
Turkey Burgers With Blue Cheese
Who says turkey has to be boring. This little treat will make you think differently. It doesn’t have to be Christmas to enjoy this tasty bird. Try it, you will be surprised.
- 1 1/4 lb. fresh ground turkey
- 4 tbsp. sundried tomatoes
- 1/2 cup Asiago cheese, grated
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp. Hungarian smoked paprika
- 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tsp. fresh sage leaves, shredded
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 4 bacon slices, cooked very crisp
- 2 tbsp. crumbled blue cheese per burger
- 4 fresh figs, cut into pieces, skin on
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients up to and including the salt and pepper. Preheat the barbcue to high heat and cook well. Shape 4 burgers.
Butter and lightly grill. To assemble, place a burger on bottom half of four buns, add the crisp bacon slices on each one. Top with the cheese and chopped figs. Put top on, take a big bite and wahoo! turkey wins the day.
Great burger.
Pancetta Crisps With Chevre And Fresh Figs
To die for! Yup, these would melt the coldest heart in seconds. The pancetta takes the place of bread and makes snack time a dream.
- 12 thin pancetta slices
- 12 argula leaves
- 12 tsp. soft fresh goat cheese
- Homemade fig jam (store bought if you must)
- 6 fresh figs, cut in half
- fresh thyme, chopped
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place pancetta on a parchment lined cookie sheet, baking until crisp – up to 15 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes.
Top each slice with 1 argula leaf, 1 tsp. goat cheese, 1/4 tsp. jam and 1 fig cut in half. Sprinkle with thyme and a light touch of freshly ground pepper.
Pour the wine, crack a beer. Yum!
Cheesecake With Fresh Figs
You may think this is an impossible Cheesecake to make due to the fact it is made with fresh goat cheese, but it is beyond delicious.
- 1 cup finely grated gingersnap cookies
- 2 tbsp. melted butter
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 2 pkgs. Philadelphia cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup soft, fresh goat cheese
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- pinch of salt
- 1 large egg plus 1 large yolk
- 1 tbsp. flour
- 6-8 fresh figs, sliced in half, lengthwise
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spray an 8 inch springform pan with nonstick Pam. Combine the gingersnap cookie crumbs, butter and cinnamon together and press into the bottom of the pan.
In a bowl of your electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and goat cheese together until completely smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the sugar, sour cream, lime juice, vanilla and salt and combine until really well mixed. Add the whole egg and yolk and beat to combine. Sift the flour into the mixture and mix only to combine.
Scrape the mixture into the pan and bake for one hour. When the cake is done, it will look set but still a slight wiggle in the centre. The surface will not be tacky when touched.
Allow to cool down for 30 minutes. Remove the sides of the pan but leave the bottom on. Refrigerate 4 hours ( or overnight). It may crack while cooling but that is okay. I always put a pan of water in the bottom of the oven while baking and this eliminates the cracking. Just let cool down in the oven as well.
When ready to serve, cut into 12 slices, and make sure you run the knife under hot water after each cut. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and a half of the fig on top.
Add a lovely dessert wine and enjoy. The conversation will be endless and that is what entertaining is all about.
Yum!
Lamb Chops With Fresh Fig Chutney
We are over-the-moon with figs ‘cuz we grow our own. We both love them sooooo much that, when the kids gave us one for a house-warming gift, we were ecstatic. You can change the figs for prunes if you can’t find any in your area.
- 1 1/2 tbsp. butter
- 2 tsp. sugar
- 6 shallots, peeled and cut in half, lengthwise
- 1 tbsp. fig balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 2 tbsp. dried cranberries
- 18 figs (or prunes), ends cut off and halved
- 1 1/2 tbsp. chopped fresh sprigs of rosemary
- pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper
- 8 lamb chops (2 per person), 3/4 inch thick
- 1 tbsp. good quality olive oil
Melt the butter in a pan, over medium heat, add the sugar and shallots and cook until golden brown (about 15 minutes). Add the vinegar and cook until evaporated.
Add the stock, fruit, 1 tsp. of the chopped rosemary and salt and pepper, to taste. Keep warm.
Season the chops with salt and pepper and remaining rosemary. Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat, add the chops and saute until brown on the bottom. This should take about 3-4 minutes. Turn and cook until meat thermometer reads 110 degrees for medium rare and they are evenly browned. Another 3 minutes more.
Garnish with some fresh rosemary sprigs and serve with the warm chutney, garlic mashed potatoes and chilled salad and, of course, a lovely red wine.
Baked Figs and Apples With Granola Topping
This is the new ‘comfort’ food. Sooooo good and the granola topping makes it even better.
- 2 tbsp. liquid honey
- 2 tbsp. dark brown sugar
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 10 fresh figs, stems removed and finely chopped **
- 1 cup granola
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the honey, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla in a bowl and whisk to combine thoroughly. Add the apples and figs and coat with the mixture.
Grease a 12 x 12 baking dish and pour the mixture in. Sprinkle the granola over the top, cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes (until the apples are tender).
Remove the foil and bake another 5-6 minutes. Let stand at least 10 minutes before diving in. You can’t yet….you forgot the vanilla ice cream (or whipped cream) to just add a little more pizzazz!
**Do not use dried figs. They leave an unsatisfactory taste in your mouth.
Fresh Fig And Pear Strudel With Ginger Cream
Okay….so you are going to show off tonight. Why not? Do this and you will be…
Serves 8
- 1 1/2 lbs. fresh figs, stemmed, cut into 6 wedges each
- 1 1/2 lbs firm but ripe Anjou pears, peeled cored and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup frozen cranberry-raspberry concentrate, thawed
- 1 tsp grated lemon peel
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Generously butter a large baking sheet. Place the fruit pieces on the baking sheet, sprinkle with sugar and roast for about twenty minutes until tender and just starting to brown. Remove from oven and transfer the fruit to a bowl to cool. Stir in the concentrate and lemon zest and chill until cold.
Strudel
- 6 tbsp dried bread crumbs
- 4 tbsp sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 10 thawed phyllo sheets
- 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
Butter another baking sheet. Mix the crumbs, three tbsp of sugar and one tsp cinnamon in a bowl. Place a clean kitchen towel on work surface. Place one phyllo sheet on towel with short edge toward edge of work surface. Be sure to cover the remaining phyllo sheets with a damp tea towel so they don’t dry out.
Brush phyllo sheet with some melted butter, sprinkle with one-eighth bread crumb mixture. Repeat this with two more phyllo sheets, first the butter then one-eighth of crumb mixture each. Top with the fifth phyllo sheet and brush with melted butter. With a slotted spoon, place one-half of the mixture along one short side of pastry stack. Be sure to leave a one inch border along the long sides. Sprinkle one-half tbsp sugar and one-quarter tsp over the fruit mixture.
Brush folded sides with butter. With short sides, start rolling being sure to enclose all the fruit. Brush all over with melted butter and place strudel with seam side down on baking sheet. Repeat the very same procedure with the second strudel.
This can now be wrapped with plastic wrap and stored in the fridge.
To bake, position rack in centre of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
Once again, brush the strudel with melted butter and bake about twenty minutes until golden in colour. Cool this for about ten minutes. Cut with a serrated knife on the diagonal, discarding the ends (yes, you can taste). Stand one piece on each plate and put a dollop of ginger cream on the side of the strudel. Serve this dessert warm.
Ginger Cream
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 tbsp minced peeled ginger
- 2 1/4 tbsp Berry sugar
- 1 cup whipping cream
Combine the water and ginger in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until the sugar melts. Simmer this now for about five-six minutes until it becomes syrupy. In a medium bowl whip the cream until stiff peaks form and carefully fold in the ginger mixture.
This can be made earlier in the day (about four hours before) and kept chilled in the fridge.
After serving this, your guests will have gone home, picked up their sleepingbags and returned. They really will not want to leave.
Silent Panic Martini
This serves 2
- 1/4 cup white cranberry juice
- 2 dried figs, chopped fine
- 2 cloves, cracked
- 1 fresh fig, cut in wedges
- 1/4 cup citrus vodka
In a shaker combine all the ingredients except the fresh fig and let stand for twenty minutes (patience required here) and now add:
- 3 oz. brandy
- 1 oz. orange flavoured liqueur
Shake vigorously, strain into a martini glass with a fresh fig wedge skewered on a cocktail pick.
A little off the wall, but extremely tasty. May I make you one?
Taste Rating: 9