First Fig

Celeste fig plucked and rescued from the birdies

Finished ripening inside - delicious!!

Figging

All of our gorgeous weather has encouraged an early leaf out on our Celeste fig tree.  (Bonus ladybug)

First Fig Bud Spotting

Celeste fig leaf bud

Waterbrushed Watercolor Fig

I'm having fun learning to master using a water brush to water color.   This is the first fig of 2015 we harvested from our Celeste fig tree.

Garden Update - First Fig!

Introducing our first fig of 2015!

Fig Update

Lots of rain this week and weekend...they need some sunshine to get ripening.
(Manicure:  "Mint Apple")

Garden Update - May the Fig

Manicure - OPI "Can't Find My Czechbook"

Fig Green

New Pantone color consideration - "Fig Green"  

Sunlight backlight

Garden Update - What time is it?!

Fig time!

April 18, 2015

April 20, 2015

They are getting bigger each day!

(and yes, I have even more shades of purple nail polish, ready to make their debut)

Spring green (and Fig season) is on its way

unfurling fig leaf

More Fun with Figs! Fig Pie!

Fig Pie!

We are still working our way through the first round of our 2014 Celeste fig harvest.  I thought this time I would try making a fig pie.

For my almost 7" in diameter Chantal pie plates, I used the Deep Dish pie shell recipe proportions, since I was making a double crust.  I've found it is better to have extra dough rather than trying to stretch, and rip, the pastry to fit and cover the plate and filling.

Pie Crust Recipe - Adapted from Good Housekeeping magazine - November 2008

Ingredients for a 9" pie shell:

Before assembling the ingredients, I fill a measuring cup with water and ice to get that water ice cold.

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted cold butter, cut up as you place in the food processor
3 tablespoons Crisco
4 to 5 tablespoons ice water (I've never had to use that much, perhaps because I live in a humid climate)

For a Deep Dish Pie Shell (or a double crust for a 2-cup size/6-3/4"diameter x 1-1/4"deep Chantal pie plate) Increase flour to 1 1/2 cups and vegetable shortening to 1/4 cup.

Instructions:

In food processor with knife blade attached, blend flour and salt.  Add butter and shortening, and plus until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Sprinkle in ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each addition, until large moist crumbs just begin to form.  The trick is to keep it crumbly instead of turning into a ball.

Shape dough into disk/s, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes or over night (if over night, let dough stand 30 minutes at room temperature before rolling)

Put dough between wax paper and roll into a 12" round, approximately 1/8" thick.   Remove one side of wax paper and flip over into pie plate (with the other wax paper side up).  Fit into plate and remove remaining wax paper sheet.

Trim excess crust and place in freezer for 15 minutes.  In the meantime preheat oven to 425.  

Bake pie shell for 10 minutes.  
Fill with fruit.

Sprinkle with some pretty sanding sugar on top, adjust  heat to 400.   Or lower temperature to 375 if it is browning too quickly.
Bake for an additional 30 minutes or  until crust turns golden.

Fig Fruit Filling

Well, I didn't quite measure/count the figs prior to trimming the stems and cutting in half and placing in a saucepan to cook.  If I had to guesstimate, I would say it was probably 4 cups of fresh figs.  Always better to err on the win-win plus side, you can always use and eat the extra!  I did add a little less than 1/4 cup sugar and a teaspoon of cinnamon.   Then for this particular pie, I added a tablespoon of cornstarch to thicken the fruit once it started to bubble.   In hindsight, I probably didn't really need the cornstarch.  It was not that watery.  And I actually couldn't tell any difference from the other sauce I had made.   I was just following other fruit pie recipes, which did call for cornstarch.  My pie bottom was not soggy and the filling not runny.    Perhaps the kitchen angels were smiling upon me.  And hopefully you, too!

Fig Pie a la Mode!

Fresh Fig Muffins

Fresh Fig Muffin
(Christmas in July?)

From "The Figgery" today. . .I baked this Fresh Fig Muffin recipe adapted from The Craft of Baking by Karen DeMasco.   These turned out GREAT!  Tasted wonderful warm and at room temperature.  Hopefully they will freeze well, as I was able to get 15 muffins out of this recipe.  Albeit using my "seasonal" cup cake paper cups.  I don't like to try and pry muffins out of the tin, but I do like an after-holiday sale.  I can usually pick these up for 10 to 25 cents a package.  I also think the designs are pretty.

The changes I made were using Celeste figs and sprinkling some Sugar in the Raw on top before baking for sparkle.  Next time I may try subbing out 1/4 to 1/2 of whole wheat flour.  I will try 1/4 cup first, as these are so light as they are.  Also the cinnamon-y/brown sugar muffin base smells and tastes just heavenly as it is baking and afterwards.   I bet you could make these again and sub out pieces of apple, or blueberries, or peaches for the figs.  Add walnuts or almonds.   This recipe is definitely a winner!

FRESH FIG MUFFINS

1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2  cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup chopped fresh figs (I quartered the smaller Celeste figs)

Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees. Generously butter a standard 12 cup muffin pan or line it with paper liners.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.

In a second small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla.

Using an electric mixer (if you have a paddle attachment, use it.  I used the regular Kitchen Aid one), beat the butter and brown sugar until well combined.

With the mixer at low speed, alternate adding the the dry and liquid ingredients - 1/3 flour mixture, 1/2 buttermilk mixture, 1/3 flour mixture, 1/2 buttermilk mixture, 1/3 flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Do not overmix.

Remove bowl from the mixer and gently fold in the figs.

Fill the muffin cups 3/4 full.

I love my Pampered Chef stoneware.
A nice remembery gift from a very dear friend of mine

Bake until the muffins are a deep golden brown in color, 25-30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Then turn out muffins from the pan and let them cool completely.

Makes 12 to 15 muffins.

Look carefully -You can see the melted and caramelized  figs inside

P.S.  How impressed was I by this recipe??  I just bought the cookbook!  Since it was published in 2009, Amazon has them new and used starting at $3.99.  Target and Walmart also sell it online, if you have a gift card from them - I'd consider getting this cookbook.  And then give the giver something you made from it. 

Figgy Fun Friday

"Fresh Fig Bars"

Our Celeste fig tree is still setting new figs…  So far we have given way almost ten pounds of figs!
I've made two batches of "jam". . .

Fig Sauce

(quotes because it is not "official" canned/processed jam, but merely a figgy sauce with a touch of cinnamon and a little sugar.)  Which I've put on cereal. . .

Oatmeal with walnuts and figs

and yogurt and ice cream. . .

Figs a la mode

and yes, even by itself as a snack.

But now it is time to find and try out fig recipes!
I've tried two cookie recipes -- the favorite is the one pictured at the top of this post.  Both are from the California Fig website

"Fresh Fig Cookies"

First recipe tryout -- Fresh Fig Cookies
Maybe if I had followed the recipe (I substituted cinnamon for the cloves and didn't add walnuts and replaced 1/2 cup of white flour with whole wheat), they may have been better.  The problem was they were so "cakey"(mushy?)  and blah.  Despite the recipe calling for a cup of sugar, they weren't sweet.   Not even sprinkling sanding sugar on top or drizzling a bit of frosting helped.  My taste testers were forewarned by my saying, "Do these taste good to you?"  Oddly I kept wanting to add raisins - I think because it had the texture of a typical soft raisin cookie.

NEXT!

Fresh Fig Bars
Yet another recipe calling for walnuts.  Which I skipped again.  This recipe shows you how to make the filling, albeit time-consuming.  I just used my Fig Sauce/Jam I had in the fridge.  There is also more than enough oatmeal mixture to cover the bottom and top.  They were a little crumbly but I had no complaints from my taste testers - at all!   Next time I will try packing the bottom a little more firmly to see if they will hold their shape a little bit better.  You definitely need to use a fork or be ready to use your fingers to grab errant, flopped off pieces.  I'm going to try and see if they can be frozen, too.  I also added four packets of Sugar in the Raw sprinkled on top, hoping for extra crunch and texture.

Cookie bottom and top:

1 cup shortening
¾ cup packed brown sugar
2 cups sifted flour
½ teaspoon salt
3 cups quick-cooking oatmeal

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cream shortening and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Combine 2 cups flour, ½ teaspoon salt and oatmeal; stir into creamed mixture. Divide and press one half oatmeal mixture into bottom of well-greased 9x13 inch pan. Spread evenly with fig mixture.

Sprinkle remaining half oatmeal mixture on top and press together lightly.

Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges. Cut 4x6 into 24 squares while still warm.  (no idea what that means - so here's what I did.  Then I cut these rectangles in half after removing them from the pan.)

Cool completely before removing from pan.

Can I?

It all started with a $3.44 book...

Celeste figs

Coming attractions!
Celeste Fig Tree 2014

The figs started ripening on our Celeste fig tree, and it looks like a bumper crop this year.  I've already given five pounds away.  When I was walking through Target, on their end cap I found the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving marked down to $3.44.  And the canning jars were on sale.  I've never tried canning before and I thought, hmmm.  I can always use the jars for something else and donate the book to the library if things don't work out.   Kroger had the pectin and the utensil set in the baking aisle.    I will keep you posted of my attempt at canning!