A.k.a., stinky cheese fig pizza :p (this is how I presented it to the boyfriend)
Anywho, I was in Trader Joe's yesterday and came across fresh figs! $3.50 for a 1 lb box! I knew I must haz nao. But, with no recipe in mind, I searched all night for the right recipe to do them justice. We are on a really tight budget right now, so I also knew that whatever I made I could not buy any other ingredients for. The figs were the splurge, and now I need to use them! The last time I brought them home (probably around this time last year, actually) the boyfriend picked up some goat cheese, and he stuffed the figs with the goat cheese and walnuts and wrapped them with bacon. When I looked up recipes, half of them had prosciutto in them! We are *trying* to eat vegan and vegetarian, and I know that pork can't be the end all magical ingredient with fresh figs!
I found a number of recipes I liked, and it came down to deciding between doing a dinner or desert. I remembered I had my loaf of fail multigrain bread in the fridge, which is now old, stale, and super dense (the fail part). So, bread pudding seems to be in order! I decided between two recipes with that as well, a savory one or a sweet one. When I explained the options to the boyfriend, his eyes glazed over until I got the the part of the can of dolce de leche that has been languishing in the fridge for over a year. He lit up like a puppy being asked if it wants a cookie, and I then knew what the answer was :p
So, to contrast the sweet desert, a savory fig dinner was in order! I pretty much winged the recipe using all sorts of stuff I have taught myself in the past year, as well as inspiration in terms of what kind of stuff to mix with the figs from the common ingredients I found in recipes for fresh figs. Everything in this recipe, except the fresh figs, were random things hanging out in the pantry and fridge. Also, measurements are approximate for a lot of this, especially the cream sauce. I winged it!
Tart crust:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking powder
dash of salt (to taste)
1 egg yolk
2 1/2 tbsp softened butter
2 tbsp turbinado or other large grain sugar
2 tsp fennel seeds
(reserve egg white for brushing later)
Whip butter until creamy. Whip in yolk until creamy. Sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well, the mixture should be crumbly. Fold in the sugar and fennel seeds. Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and allow to chill in fridge at least 1 hour.
Caramelized Cherry Merlot Reduction:
4 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup cherry juice
1/4 cup merlot
Place a small, non stick saucepan over medium low heat. Add the brown sugar, and watch closely. As it begins to melt, stir the sugar around to prevent burning. When it is all melted, allow to caramelize for just a few seconds, then add the cherry juice. Stir until the hardened caramel completely dissolves, allow to cook down for 2-3 minutes until syrupy but NOT burnt. Watch it close! Once it has reduced to half, add the merlot and cook down for around 5 minutes, stirring often. When the bubble begin to get foamy, you know you are close. Stir vigorously and pay close attention to the consistency and smell. If you smell burning, it is usually already too late and you need to start over. You want the reduction to be syrupy, and you should get about 1/3 of a cup of reduction from this recipe.
Shallot Garlic Bellavitano Cream Sauce
2-3 shallots, minced
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp minced fresh basil
1 tbsp minced fresh italian parsley
1 1/2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 lb Bellavitano Raspberry cheese (or your favorite stinky cheese!)
1 cup whole milk (we dont keep milk on hand, so I used 1/3 cup dry milk mix and 1 cup of water)
salt, to taste (I like to use Spike instead of salt)
fresh black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup white wine
Heat the butter and olive oil over medium low heat. Saute the shallots and garlic in oil until they just start to get some color (about 1 minute). Add the flour, the mix should be a paste. Stir often, cook for 3 minutes or so, until the flour is golden brown and the mixture takes on a buttery popcorn scent. Be careful not to burn! Add the milk, stir well until the flour paste (it is a rue) is dissolved in the milk. Cook about 3 minutes, or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the cheese, and more water if the sauce if too thick. Cook until cheese is melted and mixture begins to foam again. Add salt, pepper, basil, and parsley, cook another minute. Reduce heat slightly, add the wine. Allow to cook down until a thick, creamy sauce forms. If it is taking a long tome to reduce, add some corn starch or arrowroot to thicken it up. This recipe makes more than needed for the tart, so you'll have extra sauce for pasta or pizza!
Tart fixin's
1/2 lbs fresh figs
2 oz Bellavitano Raspberry cheese, shredded
2 tbsp fresh italian parsley
1 large sweet onion, caramelized (saute slow and low with 3-4 tbsp of butter until brown and soft)
1/4 cup sliced almonds
egg whites for brushing
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Roll out your tart dough on a floured surface. Lay into a greased pie dish, ensuring there is enough dough to go up the sides (you will be folding these sides down over the tart in the final step). Brush the dough with egg whites. Add about 1/2 cup of the cream sauce (you want enough to cover the bottom generously, but not so much it will make it soggy). Sprinkle the parsley and cheese on top of the sauce. Sprinkle the almonds next. Layer a generous amount of the onions. Slice the figs in thirds, lengthwise, and arrange on top with the seeded center facing up. Fold the sides of the crust over the tart and brush with egg whites. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the tart crust is golden brown. Allow to cool, then drizzle the reduction on top. NOM. NOM I SAY!
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