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.
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!
Updated Fig Pumpkin Seed Pesto ( spread on crackers, use as a veggie dip, put on pasta)
Ingredients
100 g blanched fig leaves (Then pull off the leaf bits from the veins.Toss the veins in the trash and only use the leaf bits. It's an extra step but it makes a creamier more tender product).
1 cup olive oil
50 g toasted pumpkin seeds
pinch salt
a few grinds black pepper
2 drops mint extract or 10 fresh mint leaves
1 Tablespoon honey
1 1/2 cups EVOO
Procedure
Put everything but the fig leaves in blender and blend till smooth. Then add the fig leaves in slow handfulls and blend till smooth. If too thick add more oil. If too bitter add more honey. Refrigerate or freeze.
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
