Yesterday my neighbors were gifted with a crate of figs from a friend who has some dripping trees; today I have this luscious bowl, and more if I want them.
Now what to do? Fig crostada from Dolce Italiano? Fig ice cream from The Perfect Scoop? I think I will have to sleep on this. Summer, lovely summer.
And Palma, if only Brad still worked in Pasadena and I could send you some of these. They are bursting ripe.
Maria-Those figs look wonderful. I love figs, and I rarely can get them here. When we were in Italy last year, I tried to find fig ice cream (I did find figs at the market in Florence), but I had no luck. I just showed the photo to my husband tonight of the fig ice cream in The Perfect Scoop and told him I wish I could make it. So I vote for both the crostada and the fig ice cream!
I have had figs all week, Marcia, but thanks for thinking of me. Mine were 6.99 a lb! I've been stuffing them with gorgonzola, grilling them, or eating them "straight"! Those look great!
Check a couple things to do with them on recent blog posts.
I wasn't crazy about the fig gelato I tried in Lucca, but then I had a really good fig honey one once in Pienza. Go for it!
Well, those do look very good indeed. My neighbor is making fig chutney. David says we have had enough ice cream this weekend , so perhaps it will be the crostada. I did see figs at the farmer's market last week, but I was only thinking tomatoes that day. Palma, do you get figs at the weekend market at the community college?
I love them stuffed with blue cheese, wrapped in proscuito, then put in the oven to crisp the proscuito and warm the figs. I have also put cream in the tray and the blue cheese melts and forms a sauce with the cream.
We are in the middle of winter here and the look of the figs makes me want summer to come.
Jill
Posts: 206 | Location: Queenscliff Victoria Australia | Registered: 10 January 2005
Serve them wrapped in prosciutto crudo. No need to manipulate them. Figs were among the food of the gods in greece, did you know? the are considered perfect the way they are!
Palma, I do grill mine -when I am tired of eating them raw- wrapped in pancetta, and with a small piece of gorgonzola inside and some rosemary sprinkled on top.
I'm with Ale; there is nothing better than figs and proscuitto. I do make jam, but we have trees full of them. The second crop is nearly ready. The first crop, called breba, though huge in size were rather tasteless with all the rain we had this spring.
Sometimes I cut one or two into quarters and add them to a nice salad--especially if the salad has gorgonzola in it. It's always such a nice surprise when you get that forkful witht he fig in it!
Actually, this is a question I always wanted to make.
When figs are in season I always get them and prepare them along the rest in the cooking classes.
Most-if not all- of my students that had them have always been surprized at the taste of them and I had the impression that they never had them raw. Is this possible?
We also make a fig pizza - spread the crust with fig jelly, sprinkle with sliced figs, blue cheese, rosemary, and prosciutto. Grill. Sprinkle with arugula and drizzled with aged balsamic.
I am now craving figs - thank goodness I picked some up at the market yesterday!
Jerry
The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see. ~G.K. Chesterton
Yes, we grill them every time we turn on the BBQ! lol
Alessandra, MANY have never tasted a "raw" fresh fig. I had 9 guests last week that didn't know what they were either. Since I grew up in a neighborhood called "Fig Garden", it is amazing to me too!
Soon I will be feasting on "figasms" from Diana's tree. Oh my!
Alessandra, I am also amazed at how many people have never had a fig beyond a Fig Newton! Having grown up with fig trees in my backyard as well as that of my grandparents, they have always been one of my favorite fruits. When I was pregnant with my second child, figs were the food I craved most. I ate them in every form for 9 months, and of course, my daughter now always has a tub of Trader Joe's dried figs in her cupboard, and will eat fresh figs by the basketfull!
Posts: 113 | Location: San Diego area | Registered: 16 March 2006
At the risk of gettin' in trouble for referring back to my blog
Nope, you're good - as the rules state:
quote:
someone asks a question that one of your blog entries answers, you may post a link to the page, but be sure to include some basic information in the post, don't just link to your page.
Personally, I haven't done the CL version but I usually make a arugula and fig salad a couple of times during the summer. I like to brown some pancetta (or bacon), and then use the oil from frying the pancetta, in the dressing, along with balsamic, and some dijon mustard. Then I shave some thick ribbons of parmegiano on top.
Now how did I know that the mere mention of figs would bring out this response ?
Ale, it's quite true that most of us really did not grow up with any knowledge of fresh figs - it was the fig newton cookie for my generation, unless you had a fig tree and an Italian nona, I think.
I really like the idea of a roasted fig salad, and since we have the figs, and the parmesan already, all I may need is some arugula today.
Those figs are gorgeous! They are much bigger than the ones I've been buying at the farmer's market here in NC. The ones we have are called brown turkey figs, I think, and they are small but very sweet.
A vendor at the market makes this Fig/Honey/Goat Cheese spread so I bought some of that and stuffed fresh figs with it. Very good - just a small sweet bite. I didn't broil or anything, just served them cold.
I had fig gelato with caramel sauce at La Zucca in Venice one time - it was excellent.
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