All about Figs, mostly leaves

Seasonal Recipe of the Week 

I am fortunate enough to have a friend who farms figs right here on Long Island. I have become a student of "the fig man" which is a very zen experience. Not only am I learning about growing but I am learning patience, learning about soil and water, learning about trimming, and learning about our ever changing environment. Everybody knows how delicious ripe juicy figs are, but that my friend is only half of the story. I have been experimenting with pickling green unripe figs(thats a fall project), making figs soaked in port wine, and using fig leaves for a variety of products. Right now I am all about the leaves. Nothing more exciting then experimenting!

Fig leaves can be treated in different ways- used raw, blanched, toasted, or dried in the dehydrator. Interestingly when you toast fig leaves at 350 degrees for 4 minutes they smell a bit like coconut, its lovely! I have just started to do my deep dive into fig leaves as I am waiting for the figs to ripen so here are a few recipes I am working on:

Fig leaf infused olive oil  (this is great on salad, cheese, or eggs)

Ingredients 

3 large fresh fig leaves- stems removed and blanched for 30 seconds in boiling water then an ice bath and patted dry

1 cup olive oil

Procedure

Take the dried blanched leaves and rough chop. Put into a tall plastic cup and add the oil then blend with a stick blender until  pretty smooth. Let sit 1 hour then put through cheesecloth and into a sealed jar and refrigerate.Will last for 3 weeks. It will be a beautiful color so it's nice to use in a squeeze bottle to decorate plates if you are feeling all fancy!

Fig pumpkin seed pesto ( spread on crackers, use as a veggie dip, put on pasta)

Ingredients

50 g blanched fig leaves chopped and dried

50 g toasted pumpkin seeds

pinch salt

 a few grinds black pepper

2 drops mint extract or 4 fresh mint leaves

1 Tablespoon honey

1 1/2 cups canola oil

Procedure

Put everything in blender and blend till smooth.If too thick add more oil. If too bitter add more honey. Refrigerate

Raw Fig leaf syrup (add to cocktails, seltzer, or water for a refreshing beverage)

Ingredients

6 raw fig leaves

3 cups water

1 cup sugar

Procedure

Could not be easier. Just combine in a sauce pan, bring to the boil.Turn off heat and let sit till cool. Strain into a jar and refrigerate

Toasted fig leaf syrup

Ingredients

6 fig leaves toasted at 350 for 4 minutes

2 cups water

1 cup honey

 1 cup sugar

Procedure

Combine water sugar and honey and bring to the boil for 4 minutes.Add the toasted leaves and let cool. Remove the leaves and strain liquid and refrigerate

test post

Nothing to see here, just testing. Have you lost weight? Well, you look fabulous!

Thanksgiving Tips 2024

My People! Rula is here for you! As always, my surefire tips will make sure your dinner goes off without a hitch:

❯❯❯ Rula Gives Good Bird ❮❮❮

Yes, fellow Pilgrims, these are the same tips I post every year, but isn't it comforting to know that some things never change?

You can also clicky click on Thanksgiving or Fall in the links over there on the left for more great seasonal and holiday recipe ideas!

Stacy's been living on Lon Guyland since 2014 — where have you been? And Mary-Charlotte has long since retired from radio, so there will be no more day-before-Thanksgiving Radio Café appearances. But you can still relive their glory days — there are eight years of Radio Café shows in the archives that feature Stacy's Thanksgiving tips. I guess the internet is good for something besides TikTok dance routines, after all!

Well, my little Green Beans, it's back to Brooklyn for me — I've got spices to rub! Ciao!

Peruvian chicken

Seasonal Recipe of the Week 

Every once in a while you make a new discovery, or your smart friends do, and they tell you about it! This is the case with this fantastic Peruvian chicken recipe which has a facinating list of ingredients and an amazing sauce which frankly is great on everything. I adapted this recipe from the NYTimes recipe site so not sure how actually authentic it is but it will become a new favorite, trust me. I did not have the authentic chilis and chili pastes requested but my substitutions worked great, so you do you.

 Ingredients for the chicken

6 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon aji amarillo (I did not have that so I used Sambal)

1tablespoon lime juice

1teaspoon aji panca paste (also did not have that so I used chipotle powder)

1teaspoon Dijon mustard

1teaspoon ground cumin

1teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon Kosher  salt

8 bone in chicken thighs

Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed

Ingredients for the sauce

1cup cilantro leaves and tender stems (pack to measure)

1 jalapeño, seeded and diced

1/3  cup crumbled feta cheese

1garlic clove, chopped

2 tablespoons lime juice, more to taste

2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

¾ teaspoon Kosher salt, more to taste

a few turns of fresh black pepper

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

½ tablespoon aji amarillo (or Sambal)

½ teaspoon honey

½teaspoon ground cumin

½cup extra-virgin olive oil

Lime wedges, for garnish

 Procedure

     In a large bowl, whisk together garlic, soy sauce, aji amarillo paste, lime juice, aji panca paste, mustard, cumin, pepper and salt. Add chicken thighs , turning to coat them all over with marinade. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours but better overnight in the fridge. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Arrange skin-side up on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with oil. Roast until skin is golden and chicken is cooked through, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit, loosely covered with foil, for 10 minutes before serving. Alternatively you can grill the chicken first to give it a nice char then finish it in the oven.

   While chicken is roasting, make the sauce. In a blender, blend cilantro, jalapeño, feta, garlic, lime juice, oregano, salt, mustard, aji amarillo paste, honey, and cumin until smooth. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in oil until mixture is emulsified. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt or lime juice or both.

     Put the chicken on the serving platter and drizzle with sauce and serve. I suggest over rice or with a nice avocado corn and tomato salad. You are welcome!This will feed 4 people.