Cooking with Tammy Kelly: Fantastic Fresh Figs
There’s almost nothing better than biting into a plump, ripe fresh fig …which is why you will see this fruit on just about every menu when fig season comes around. Luckily, the savory-sweet beauties actually have two seasons (one in early June and one in early fall), so you can indulge twice as much. From figgie flatbreads to fig muffins and cake, here are some fig recipes you will want to make while the fresh figs are available!
Figs are also a terrific source of nutrition, best known for their fiber and antioxidants.
Fantastic FIG Facts:
* Figs are a good source of fiber (1-2 grams per fig)
* Figs are a great source of potassium, copper, manganese, and vitamin B6
* Also, as figs ripen, their antioxidant levels actually increase. So be sure to pick the ones that are ready to eat that day or the next. Keep them cold and moist too!
* Figs are naturally sweet and can add sweetness to any recipe without the added sugar.
*. The whole FIG is edible and the Fig leaf is even more nutrient dense. Actually, fig leaves (and their extract) may produce an insulin-lowering effect. This is great for those with insulin sensitivity and blood sugar problems.
Get your fresh figs fast, insects and birds love them too so they don’t stay on the tree when they area fresh for very long! Enjoy these recipes!!
Figgie Flat Breads
2 naan breads
1 (4oz) container of your favorite fresh goat cheese
2-3 figs, sliced thin
4 strips prosciutto, thinly sliced
1/4 cup arugula
Balsamic Vinegar, for garnish
Crushed red pepper flakes, if desired
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
On a parchment lined baking sheet, place the naan breads. Evenly spread goat cheese on top, then top with sliced figs. Place in oven and bake for 7 minutes.
Remove flatbreads from oven and top with prosciutto and arugula.
Drizzle with your favorite balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes (if desired). Serves 4.
Fig Smoothie
2–3 whole figs, stems removed.
½ cup almond or coconut milk
½ cup Greek yogurt
Handful ice
½ banana
1 tbsp creamy salted peanut butter
¼ cup granola
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ tablespoon local honey
Dash of cinnamon
Blend and serve! Serves 1-2.
Baked Brie with Figs and Honey
16 ounce wheel of Brie cheese
1/2 pound fresh figs
1/4 cup chopped pistachio nuts
1/3 cup local honey
Preheat oven to 350F.
Unwrap the Brie and place it in a shallow baking dish that you can also serve the cheese in. I use an oven safe pottery dish.
Slice the figs into quarters. Arrange the quarters in a circular pattern on top of the Brie. Scatter with the pistachio nuts. Drizzle liberally with honey.
Cover the cheese loosely with foil and bake for 20 minutes. The cheese should feel soft when you touch the side of the rind.
Drizzle with more honey and serve immediately with crackers or thinly sliced bread and plenty of napkins.
Serves 10, each serving contains; Calories 220, Carbohydrates 15g., Protein 10g., Fat 8g., Fiber 1g., Sugar 13g.
Fresh Fig Muffins
For the Muffins
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar packed
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup Yogurt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1 cup dried figs stemmed and chopped
For the Topping
1 cup fresh figs quartered
1/4 cup brown sugar packed
1/4 cup walnuts chopped
3 tablespoons rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tbsp butter melted
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
Whisk flour, sugars, baking soda, spices and salt together in a large bowl.
Whisk yogurt, oil, eggs, and extracts together in separate bowl until smooth. Stir wet mixture into dry ingredients until combined, then fold in chopped figs.
Sprinkle muffins with oatmeal and walnut topping and garnish with fresh fig slice.
Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let muffins cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Serves 12, each serving contains; Calories 315, Carbohydrates 45g., Protein 6g., Fat 13g., Fiber 3g., Sugar 24g.
Homemade Fig Newtons
For the Filling
16 fresh figs; washed, dried, and quartered
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
For the Cookie Crust
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, at room temperature (12 tablespoons)
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 tablespoon orange zest
2 eggs
4 teaspoons vanilla
In a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed saucepan, make the filling. Bring the figs, 1/2 cup brown sugar, lemon zest, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to a low boil, stirring as needed.
Reduce the heat and simmer for 40-50 minutes, occasionally smashing the larger pieces with the back of a fork and stirring. They will cook down and thicken with a jam-like consistency.
Remove the filling from the heat and cool completely.
Preheat the oven to 350. Butter a 9 X 13 baking dish, then line with parchment paper or foil then butter the parchment or foil. Use plenty of butter.
In a medium sized bowl whisk together the flours, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and 1 1/2 cups brown sugar until it’s fluffy. Add the orange zest and eggs. Beat on medium until the dough comes together. Then stir in the vanilla.
Gradually incorporate the flour mixture with the mixer on low. The dough will be sticky.
Butter two “pan-sized” pieces of foil or parchment paper, measure 1 1/2 cups of the dough out, and roll or press the dough in between the pieces. This will be your top crust, so get it into a rectangle shape if you can. Put it in the freezer.
Press the remaining dough into the prepared baking dish and bake for about 20 minutes. It will be pretty and golden brown.
Spread the fig filling across the baked crust and then get the top crust out of the freezer.
Gently peel the foil or paper away from the frozen cookie crust and then place it over the top of the fig filling. Pat any stray crust pieces into place.
Bake for another 20-25 minutes. Watch it closely! The top will turn a nice golden color.
Let the whole thing cool completely in the pan, on a wire rack if you have one. Once cooled, lift the parchment (or foil) out of the pan and slice into squares
Fig and Ginger Cake
(Modified from Mother Would Know Blog)
Fig and Ginger Topping
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup light or dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon dried ginger
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
13-15 fresh figs, stems removed, cut in half length-wise (About 12 ounces)
For the Cake
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 & 1/2 cups flour
1-2 teaspoons orange zest
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
2/3 cup crystallized (candied) ginger, finely chopped (About 3.9 ounces or 110 grams)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan with sides at least 2-inches high.
For the Fig and Ginger Topping, pour the melted butter into a small saucepan. Add the brown sugar, dried ginger and orange juice. Cook, stirring, under low-medium heat until the mixture is smooth. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.
Starting at the center of the pan, place a half of a fig, cut-side down. Place more halves around that one (also cut-side down), and a second circle. Try to place the halves close together so they won't move, but do not overlap them. Set the pan aside.
For the Cake, cream the butter and sugars together for several minutes until they are light and fluffy. A stand mixer with the paddle attachment is the easiest way to cream, but you can use a hand held, or even do it without a mixer.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing to combine. Then add the sour cream, milk and vanilla, also mixing to combine.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, orange zest, baking powder and salt. Then add the chopped crystallized ginger and mix until combined. In 2-3 batches, add the dry mixture to the wet one, mixing just until there is no dry mixture visible. The batter will be thick.
Using a spoon or spatula, add dollops of the batter to the pan with the topping, making sure not to move the figs or mix the topping and the cake batter. Gently smooth the batter on the top so that it is even.
Bake for 60-70 minutes until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. Let the cake rest on a cake rack undisturbed for 10 minutes. Then slide a sharp knife around the edge and place a platter on top of the cake. Quickly and firmly turn the cake upside down. If it does not release, or you think it hasn't, gently rap on the cake pan then pull it up and off the cake.
Let the cake cool before cutting. Serve alone or with whipped cream or ice cream. Serves 8.
Fig and Pig Pork Chops
(I found this recipe a while back and I loved it, would give credit if I could remember the source)
4 slices bacon, thick cut, diced
4 pork chops, boneless loin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup fig preserves
2 tablespoons honey
Add bacon to a large skillet on medium heat. Cook until crisp, then remove bacon and reserve two tablespoons of bacon fat.
Season pork with salt and pepper and add to skillet on medium-high heat. Sear the pork on both sides until the pork is cooked through, about 8-10 minutes total.
Remove pork chops, add in chicken broth, fig preserves, and honey. Bring to a simmer, add in bacon and cook for 2-3 minutes until thickened. Pour the sauce over the pork chops.
Serves 8, each serving contains; Calories 251, Carbohydrates 24g., Protein 17g., Fat 10g., Fiber 0.3g., Sugar 18g
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