Fig Salami

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
This week we have 2 seasonal recipes, both from the internet, both found and tested by Monica. Fig Salami is a two-part post from the Kitchn: making the salami; report on the finished product.

Procedure
1 pound of dried Mission figs
1 bottle (750 ml) of red wine
zest of half an orange
2 sprigs of rosemary
1 heaping tablespoon of mulled wine spices, tied in a cheesecloth sachet
1 cup toasted walnut pieces

Procedure
Combine the figs, wine, orange zest, rosemary, and spices in a non-reactive (glass or ceramic) pitcher. The original recipe calls for a mulled wine spice mix from the Spice House which was made with cassia cinnamon bark, allspice, cloves, cassia buds, cardamom, and mace, but Monica made her own and so can you. Cover with a tight-fitting lid (if your pitcher has one) or some plastic wrap and let it sit on the counter for three days. Or you can put it in the fridge, like Monica did.

After three days, the figs should be plump and nicely scented. Then remove the rosemary, zest, spices and excess wine (save the wine — it's pretty tasty!), and grind the soaked figs into a semi-smooth paste in the food processor, adding one teaspoon each of salt and black pepper. Mix in one cup of toasted walnuts by hand, divide the mixture into four sections, and roll them into sausage shapes. Dust with powdered sugar and wrap with cheesecloth to age for 2 weeks to a month in the fridge. Monica suggested testing it after 2 weeks — she waited a month and they were pretty dry. Also, you might try wrapping them loosely in parchment — Monica says the cheesecloth did stick in places.

That's the basic recipe, but I want to do some more experimentation — maybe an apricot-almond salami or a dried pear-pistachio, need I go on?

Cornmeal and Fig Cake with Pine Nuts

The Altitude Adjustment Section
Figs are delicious as a nibble with goat cheese and aged balsamic, but are equally delish when baked into lovely sweets. Here is a great Italian polenta cake from Venice with figs and other goodies folded into it.

Ingredients
4 large egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup grappa
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup polenta (coarse cornmeal; do not use instant)
1/2 cup diced dried figs (about 6)
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon fennel seeds

Procedure
Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 8-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides. Beat egg yolks and sugar in large bowl. Bring milk, grappa, and salt to boil in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Gradually whisk hot milk mixture into egg yolk mixture. Return to saucepan. Whisk in polenta. Whisk over medium-high heat until mixture thickens and begins to bubble, about 8 minutes.

Fold figs, raisins, pine nuts, and fennel seeds into polenta mixture. Pour into prepared cake pan. Bake cake until golden brown, set in center, and beginning to pull away from sides of pan, about 40 minutes. Cool in pan 20 minutes. Cut around pan sides and invert cake onto platter. Serve cake warm or at room temperature.

Baked Ham with Dried Fruits

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
I think a baked ham recipe is in order, don’t you? This recipe is from The Silver Palate Good times Cookbook, which I have used heavily over the years. Most of the recipes are great, but don’t trust the baked goods, as testing was spotty and the recipes are full of errors. Really!

Ingredients
1 precooked, 16 pound bone-in ham
25-30 whole cloves
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 cups apple juice
2 cups tawny port
2 cups pitted whole dates
2 cups dried figs
2 cups prunes
2 bunches watercress trimmed, washed, and dried for garnish

Procedure
Preheat oven to 350. If necessary, trim the fat off the ham to 1/4 inch thick. Using a sharp knife, score the fat into diamond shapes. Line a large baking pan with tin foil. Place Ham in pan. Insert a clove in each intersection of the diamond and pat the mustard over the top and sides of the ham. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the ham and pour the apple juice into the pan. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, basting frequently. Combine the port, dates, figs, and prunes into a bowl. Add this to the ham after 1 1/2 hours, bake for 30 minutes more, keep basting.

To serve, put ham on large platter with bed of watercress. Now take the lovely, liquor-soaked fruit and toothpick it on ham in neat rows. Drizzle with pan juices and serve the rest of the juice on the side. This should serve 20-25 folks.

Fig Newtons

The Altitude Adjustment Section
You know that question, if you were lost on a desert Island, what would you take with you? Well besides my GPS, I would have to say an assortment of cookies. I have had to give up cookies to maintain my new svelte figure, but that doesn’t mean I can’t dream, does it? Of course I would need chocolate chip cookies and oatmeal raisin cookies, and a chocolate covered macaroon or two wouldn’t hurt, but I would also have to have these fig Newtons. They are a rare treat.

Ingredients for dough
5 tablespoons room temp. unsalted butter
2 tablespoons sour cream
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
2 room temp. eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups A.P. flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Ingredients for filling
2 cups dried Figs
1 3/4 cups water
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1/4 teaspoon salt

Procedure
In the bowl of your electric mixer combine butter and sour cream till light. Gradually add Brown sugar and beat till light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time then vanilla. Sift together flour, soda, powder, cinnamon and salt. On low speed gradually add flour to butter mixture. Turn dough onto floured piece of plastic wrap, wrap tightly and refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

To make the filling, trim the hard stems off the top of the figs. Combine in a saucepan with the water and simmer covered 20 minutes till fruit is almost mushy. Add sugar, lemon rind and salt and simmer 5 minutes more. Place in food processor and pulse till smooth. Set aside till ready to assemble.

Ready to make cookies?
Preheat your oven to 350. Line a sheet pan with parchment or lightly grease pan. Divide chilled dough into thirds and keep two in the frig while rolling out one. On a well-floured surface, roll dough into a rectangle about 5 by 11 inches. Spread 1/3 of the filling slightly to one side of center along the length of the dough (about 2 inches wide and 10 inches long, mounding in the center, leaving a pastry edge exposed). Moisten this edge with a little water, which will act as glue. Now carefully and gently lift uncovered pastry with spatula over the filling and line up edges. Press together to seal then trim edges. And make roll like, half cylinder-ish. Carefully place on prepared sheet pan. Repeat with 2 pieces of remaining dough. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or till lightly browned. When cool cut with a serrated knife into 1 1/2 inch slices. They will be hard. But when placed in an airtight tin, the dough will soften and become cake-ish, just like the yummy cookies you remember. If figs are not your thing you can substitute dried apricots in the filling.

Fennel and Fig Infused Vodka

Angela's Refreshing Beverage of the Week
Fennel and Fig Infused Vodka
This yummy vodka can be served alone over ice, or stir it with a little sweet vermouth and you can make a wonderful martini with it. It turns into a wonderful plum color.

Ingredients
18 oz. Vodka
1/2 lb. dried Black Mission Figs, quartered
1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced

Procedure
In an airtight container, combine the vodka, dried figs and fennel; cover and refrigerate for a week. Shake the container each day. Strain the infused vodka through a very fine strainer into a pitcher. Voila!

Fresh Fig Tart

The Altitude Adjustment Section
My favorite high altitude cookbook — which, as you all know, is Susan Purdy’s Pie in the Sky (see link over there on the left under "Stacy's Cookbook Corner"), — has a recipe in it for Fresh Fig tart that has the beginning of November written all over it. While in NYC last week, I bought some of the most perfect figs I have ever tasted, and what did I do with them? I dipped them in dark chocolate and ate them. It was divine. But here is another option with a fantastic no-roll pastry everybody will love!

Ingredients for crust
2 1/4 cups A.P. flour
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup canola oil
3 to 4 tablespoons milk as needed

Ingredients for filling
2 cups Mascarpone
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 pounds fresh ripe figs

Ingredients for glaze
2 tablespoons honey
2/3 cup currant jelly
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Procedure
In medium bowl toss together flour, sugar, and salt. Add the oil and milk, and stir with a fork or your fingertips till it clumps together. If too dry, sprinkle in a bit more milk. Now just pick this mess up and press into the bottom of your 11 inch tart pan, which you have lightly sprayed with non-stick pan coating or lightly buttered. If it sticks to your finger,s cover it with plastic wrap and work it through the wrap, then remove. Now cut a 12-inch square of foil and spread with a little butter. Set greased side down on the pastry, fill shell with pie weights, and bake for 15-17 minutes in a preheated 425 oven. Then carefully remove the pie weights and lower oven to 350 and bake 12-14 minutes more. Let shell cool before filling.

To make filling, beat together everything but the figs and spread in the tart shell. Cut figs crosswise and lay flat on the filling. Now make a glaze! To make the glaze, just combine these 3 lovely ingredients in a small sauce pan till liquid and carefully spread over the figs. Refrigerate till ready to serve. Top with fresh thyme leaves. Oh La La!