FIGS, FIGS, FIGS

So what is it about figs that has everybody atwitter....Before I left the United States this month, I had a phone call from my son in Atlanta....his fig crop was exceptional....exceptionally prolific!  And then, I was facebooking with my friend, Dorette Snover of C'est si Bon in Chapel Hill.  She, too, was covered up with figs.  Now I am in Provence and I am greeted by tubs of figs.  Nous crulons sous les figues! Perhaps the excitement is because it is one of the few truly seasonal fruits.  We know we won't have them any other time of the year plus we really don't see that many in the grocery stores.....they are a farmer's market purchase or a tree in your back yard. 

So Dorette and I decided to both blog about our figs this week. See her at www.plantingcabbages.com

 

The plump, purple variety shown here is Soliès-Pont, named for a village here in the Departement du Var.  Sollies Pont is also home of the Fete de la Figue, an August festival that celebrates this ancient fruit.  This is the fig that I have come to know and love.  In the American South, it is mostly the small brown turkey fig.....to me, a different fruit that is good in its own way, but nothing like the purple fig of Provence. 

So what is a girl to do with so many figs.....Well, you might see me sneaking out the back door where just steps away I can feast to my heart's content.  But Xavier might have other ideas....there are jars of fig confiture dancing in his head.....and I mean lots of jars.  So far this year, the count is 220!  Read on for recipes and lots of uses for everything fig......Then don't miss the end......where there is No Fig Leaf for Apollo!

So here is Xavier's recipe for the most popular confiture we put on the table for our groups.  It is divine on a croissant or in your breakfast yogurt.

But not just for breakfast, we make a Shallot Fig  Confit to use with Pan Seared Magrets (duck breasts) or MJ will use it as a topping for the Duck Rillettes on Crostinis at cocktail hour.  To make the confit: carmelize shallots, deglaze with a light red wine vinegar and add some fig confiture. Reduce. Season with salt. Taste for sweet/sour balance & adjust. If you have no duck rillettes, then use shredded barbecue.

FIG CONFITURE

1 KILO (2.2 lbs) FRESH PURPLE FIGS,  QUARTERED (or halved in small)

1 HEAPING TBS. ZEST DE CITRON CONFIT (below)

700 GRAMS RAW SUGAR (1 1/2 lbs)*

JUICE OF ½ LEMON

  (Photo is 7-8 kilos)

In a large pot, combine figs, citron confit, and 1/2 cup water and 2 pinches salt.  Bring to a simmer.  Slowly cook down the figs. Stir often. They will melt down and skins will soften. This takes about 15-20 minutes.  Add sugar.  Increase heat to fast boil. Cook 15-20 minutes stirring constantly. About 5 minutes before end, add juice of ½ lemon. Reduce heat.  

Remove from heat.  Continue to stir to dissipate heat….about 3-4 minutes. Fill jars to top.  If reusing old jars, invert jars while cooling.  Lids will reseal.

NOTES: When going from sweet and more pulpy fruit such as pears, figs, apricots to more acidic watery fruits such as strawberry, raspberry, you add more sugar to the latter (750-800 gms per kilo) 

 

Short fast cooking time after sugar is added will give you the best flavor.  Long cooking time destroys the color and flavor.

*Raw sugar is the free flowing sugar that is less processed than white sugar.  I buy the Florida Crystals that comes in a plastic jug.  It is not turbinado sugar....too coarse.

Now for the 'piece de resistance' of the Fig Confiture. ....

ZESTES DE CITRON CONFITS

 

10 LEMONS (to yield 1 ½ cups zest weighing .140 kg [5 oz])

1 ½ CUPS RAW SUGAR

Peel lemons and julienne into ‘needle’ size pieces …tiny width and about ½ inch long. In 2-quart saucepan, cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, Blanch, strain and rinse.  Return to pan and just cover with water  (there should be enough so that the zest floats).  Add the juice of 1 ½ lemons and pinch of salt.  Simmer very slowly for 20 minutes.  Water will be almost gone. Add juice from other half of lemon then level with 1 1/2 cups raw sugar.  Cook very SLOWLY for 15-20 minutes.  Add about 2 tablespoons more water if zest is not tender at this time*.  Do this several times…..the color becomes somewhat brownish.  The syrup is obviously thicker and the zest is very transparent and crystalline-like.  It is done when color of zest is correct…..cooked, tender and transparent.

If the lemon peel is tough, it is because it was not cooked enough with the water.

*TIP: If you cook the zest with the sugar too long, the sugar could caramelize, therefore you need to add more water to prevent caramelization.

NOTE:  You can collect your zest over a period of time (freeze it).  As fig season approaches, every time a lemon is used, the zest is removed first, julienned, and put in a small jar in the freezer until there is enough to make the confit.  Did someone say this is labor intensive?  Great for honing your knife skills too.  

I might also call it 'heaven on a spoon'....

For the gardener....

Xavier is very much the gardener and has the patience of a saint (for some things!).  So at the end of last summer, I saw him collecting soil on a plastic bag.  What's up?  He walked over to the tree and wrapped the bag around the limb surrounding a joint with the soil....winter came, spring came, summer came. Then I am in the States for 4 weeks only and he goes to the next step without me.  Cut the branch, removed the plastic....Voila, lots of roots.....potted it for his brother.  And not one damn photo!! I WILL take a picture the next time we go to his brother's!

This just speaks to the fact that fig trees are hardy, fairly easy to propagate. We see so many in the villages growing from tiny cracks in stone walls and fortifications ...seeds left there by a petite oiseaux (bird)....

If you are indeed interested in all the different varieties of figs, check out this website.  It is an excellent source of information about all things fig!

Fig Leaves are very helpful when building a simple food tray
 .

and finally, from Nice Matin, we unravel why there is

No Fig Leaf for Apollo!

 This larger than life statue in Nice has generated much controversy. It was banned in the 70's from its prominent position on Place Massena because some people were offended by his endowment.  In June of this year, it was re-erected on Place Massena sans fig leaf in the location where it was originally intended.

Click here to read the complete story and see Apollo's final resting place. 

Don't forget to visit Dorette's blog! 

 

My French Grocery - the Hyper U

 

Everytime I go back to the States, I am asked the question.....What is it you miss from France when you come home to the States?  You might be surprised, or maybe not, but I miss my Hyper U, the grocery store.  No matter where I am, hardly a day goes by that I am not in a grocery store   And the U stores are the best.... they make grocery shopping a pleasure....WHY???   

In a nutshell, they are clean, very well organized, and the U brands are exceptional....

(Remember, if you want to see the photos larger, just double click on them.)

Let's go inside....

You only see it this empty during lunch time when most French people are home having lunch.  Great time to shop...no crowds.  Yep, you can buy your dog house there too.

Produce is seasonal. You won't see strawberries in September or grapes in June.....so much more flavor.  Notice the price of the leeks...and that is per kilo (2.2 lbs)  Why do they have to be so expensive in the US.

Well, it goes without saying that the cheese aisle...no, make that plural...aisles are over the top. Cow, goat, ewe.....fresh, aged.....bio (organic).  What did DeGaulle say?  "Comment voulez-vous gouverner un pays qui a deux cent quarante-six variétés de fromage?" (How can you govern a country that has 246 varieties of cheese?)  And, I am sure there are many more than that now.  This is just 2 of the 6 photos of the cheese areas.

 It's BIO!

Bio (organic) products are integrated into all areas of the store.  But this particular week, they brought them to the front of the store into what I call the 'special features' area that gets changed every 3-4 days.....This area is one of the first things you see when you walk in the store and it is always changing. 

Another special feature....Products of the World...

ROSÉ TIME!

OK.....maybe this would be my favorite section......so many choices....so little time....

There are also my favorite things to accompany the rosé...and all of these go home in my suitcase.  Great hazelnuts that are so so fresh.  The U brand fois gras is to die for.  The duck rillettes are really just duck BBQ...quick spread for a crostini. And sometimes the cheese palmiers find their way into my carry-on for a petite snack on the way back. Notice these are all the store brand....the best!

THE TABLE IS SET.....

for the French neighbors to come for an American supper.....

The menu centers around Ribs....or Travers de Porc.....cold salads, cornbread.....and Peach Crumble.

It is all a huge hit even though X had told me that they might not buy into the cold salad idea.  

Wrong! 

They loved it.  

Another big hit is the Tabasco rack.  Thanks to our friends at Tabasco, we have the complete complement of Tabascos....Everybody is trying a different kind.  Fun!

Great evening.....now I just have to figure out what I will prepare the next time we have 16 French speaking people around the table.

Suggestions??

RIBS 101

This is the practical side of things.  I love this menu because it can be done 100% ahead of time....important when entertaining this many people.   I, being in France, also have to think about availability of products.  There is no Costco or Sam's where I can go pick up a few packages of ribs.  I have to place an order with Daniel, the butcher.  And we just happened to be there when they delivered the pork.  Daniel trims out the 2 slabs and then he has another for me.....this would definitely not be enough if I were serving 16 Americans but X reassures me that we will have plenty. But honestly, we thought we were going to have 13 but invited extras at the last minute....

Two days ahead, I rub the ribs down with  Dragon Rub, place them on a rack in a large roasting pan. Add water to just below the rack.  Cover with plastic wrap, yes plastic wrap, then heavy duty foil, being sure to tuck the plastic wrap into the edges of the foil when you crimp around the edge of the pan.  Place in 400 degree oven and bake for 2 1/2  hours...If using non convection, you may need to go to 3 hours.

Ready with the Dragon Rub, on rack over water...Now cover as described above.

Out of the oven, refrigerate overnight.

 After grilling and ready for reheat!

Next day, coat with Sesame Ginger Teriyaki Sauce  and head to the grill.  Grill just to set the sauce.  You can do this part at the time of your party or you can do it ahead as I did. Then at the time of your party, put them on a sheet pan and reheat in the oven.

NOTE:  The Dragon Rub and the Sesame Ginger Teriyaki Sauce are essential traveling companions.  Asian flavored recipes take so many special ingredients that are hard for me to locate in France.  So thank you to my New England manufacturers that make life easy.  Follow the links above to their websites.  Of course, you can change up your rub and your sauce to create different flavor profiles.

It is also possible to freeze them on a sheet pan, then bag and pull them out as you need them.  So yes, they can be done weeks ahead

Gateau de Jambon, Olive et Fromage

Xavier and I  have been cooking for the last couple of days getting ready for the next groups. For once, I had a bit of extra time and got to cook too. 

The French call this a gateau or cake.  I call it a bread....a quick bread.  It is perfect for cocktail hour or a picnic.  The bones of the recipe began with Robert Brunel, a chef friend in Avignon.  Of course, I have modified it on more than one occasion to make it work for us in the home kitchen.  Give it a try. Enjoy!

GATEAU DE JAMBON, OLIVE, ET FROMAGE

A Provençql treat!

2 CUPS FLOUR

1 TBS. BAKING POWDER

2 TSP. SALT

FRESHLY GROUND PEPPER

3 EGGS

1/3 CUP OLIVE OIL

1/3 CUP ROSÉ WINE (can substitute white wine)

5 OUNCES COOKED HAM, diced ¼” cubes

1 ½ CUPS COMTE CHEESE, grated

7 OUNCES GREEN OLIVES, coarsely chopped

GRAY SALT

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.  Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, olive oil, and rosé.  Add to flour mixture and stir just to combine. 

Toss together ham, cheese and olives.  Add to batter and stir to combine.  Pour batter into a well-greased oblong bread pan.  Sprinkle top with gray salt.  Bake at 350 for approximately 1 hour….internal temperature 190 degrees or skewer inserted comes out clean. 

Turn out on rack to cook completely before slicing.

 

Fresh Anchovies!

At the market yesterday, the fresh anchovies looked fabulous and perfect for preserving ourselves. Xavier layered them in sea salt, finished them with a few twists of fresh pepper and transferred them to the fridge. In about a month, we can use as needed i.e. take from the fridge, rinse them, filet them, and enjoy them. I can't wait. Of course, I will share the experience.

They will last in salt about a year, but if you want to keep longer, remove, rinse, clean, filet and pack in oil. Voila, you have your own salted anchovies.

Love these food experiences...last year, we cured our own olives.....this year, anchovies.

La Premiere Salade

Oh my goodness, and I do mean goodness! At this time of the year, the garden is delivering the yummiest fresh greens....big rounds of tender lettuces, baby spinach, radishes galore, and, my favorite, the rocket (arugula). Toss this up and serve with Xavier's vinaigrette. I promise you will never get tired of it. The vinaigrette is in my cookbook but Xavier is always changing it up. The one pictured here includes some broken pecans (hand delivered from Georgia!) and onion tops. Of course, there is nothing better than a French baguette (a little mouse got into this one) for cleaning your plate. I love this stuff......In fact, I have just imposed a personal restriction on myself.....no more baguette with vinaigrette...it has been out of control.

Want another treat with this vinaigrette? Grate fresh raw beets...3 or so....and add a grated apple, toss with vinaigrette and lots of fresh parsley....For this recipe add a bit more salt.....and you might want a little more red wine vinegar. (that's Xavier talking on the other side of the kitchen!)

Spring has sprung in Provence.....and I am lovin' it.

Jambon en Croute

This ham hails from a 'petit village' in the Duchy of Luxembourg and was offered to us by a friend who really knows the specialties of the area.....

What a great way to do your Easter ham!  This was delicious! In the bottom of this beautiful pastry were onions, carrots,; celery and  'la couenne' .  Yep! I know you don't  know what that last thing is.  It is the skin around the ham.  So, here are the basics......cook a whole ham, remove the skin (la couenne du porc) and place a large piece on the pastry  (i am not going into that here....remember, I am giving you a rough idea of how it is done) with vegetables.  Arrange ham slices overall.  Enclose with pastry.....decorate and bake before serving. I made that sound easy, didn't I????

It was served steaming hot with a piece of the pastry, a vegetable or two from the bottom and some of 'la couenne'. Very very good.

By the way, in this part of the world, the cows here say...."lesst mei Schwain!" eat more pork....not eat more chicken!

Note:  This was previously posted in 2009.....just made some corrections to my spelling !!!

More Good Eats......

in an unexpected spot.

We came off the A7 to hit the backroads to Grignan. Hungry again but arriving late for the traditional midi repas. Not to worry. After a quick walk around the castle and through the village, we saw a spot that was more like a bar than a restaurant but they were serving. Didn't expect much but were we surprised. I ordered the cuisses de grenouilles (frog legs) and they were magnificent served 'picata' style.....lemon, fresh herbs.......whoda thot it? I thought we would end up with a sandwich in cellophane! Only in France. The proprietor came out and wanted to make sure all was well....I think he was probably the cook as well......and so proud of his preparation......excellent fresh food...unexpected.

Lamb Sweetbreads with Morel Sauce

It seems that each time my departure from France draws near, my favorite things begin to show up on the table. And this night was decadent. Lamb Sweetbreads with Morel Sauce that had more morels than you could count in it. It was absolutely yummy and the 2004 Domaine Santa Duc Haute Garrigues (Gigondas) was a perfect match.

Thinking Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is not far away and by now you could have 90% of the work done.....don't worry, it is not too late. For 25 years, I taught as many as 3 classes every Fall on The Southern Thanks
giving. In fact, this mostly do-ahead menu is in my book, Mary James dishes it out (page 112).

Now for some of those extra tips. The dressing can be done now and frozen....makes 24 pieces.....freeze it on a sheet pan then bag it if you don't have freezer room....just remember to put it back on the cookie sheet before it thaws! Cook it on turkey day

By all means make the cranberry conserve....this is a HUGE hit every year.....double the recipe and it will carry you through Christmas...don't freeze...just refrigerate.....I don't like to do more that a double batch at a time....it seems to change how it sets up and thickens if you do more than that......The picture on the left shows you the approximate size of the fruit when it is cut......Bring to a simmer (slow boil) and then time it for 20 minutes stirring occasionally......This dish sparkles when presented in a glass/crystal dish.

OLIVES....one year later

OK...I know, I know. I keep getting requests for more blogs. Even though there is so much that I want to share, it is next to impossible to blog when we are welcoming groups to Provence.

So now it is early in the morning. The Provence light is casting its golden/orange shadows across the porch. I have my cup of steaming coffee and am the beginning of this day could not be better.

Throughout the season, Xavier and I get lots of questions about the olives. There are 17 trees here on the property and everyone wants to know what happens next. So, in a nutshell, here it is. As the olives ripen, they are hand picked or, in some instances, raked from the trees. At this point, they can go to the mill to make olive oil, or be preserved whole in brine, or dry cured with salt, or treated industrially with lye. But, to become edible/palatable, no matter how green or ripe (black) an olive is, it must be processed to remove the bitterness.

So now, it has been almost a year since these olives went into the brine. Yes, I know we are rushing the process a bit since it can take a year ++ to cure olives this natural way, but my time here is short and I just can't wait! Anyway, they will continue to mellow without the cap. During this past year, a cap formed across the top and actually acted as a seal. Yes, it looks like mold and, in fact, is mold. But, by now, you know that all mold is not bad i.e. the cheese lesson posted previously (see Blog Archive, May 2007) Xavier carefully lifts the cap from the olives and !voila!, we are sampling the olives grown right here on his property. Delicious and full of flavor.....we even rinse those that were trapped in the cap, drizzle with some of the olive oil from his trees and yum, yum, yum! Click on the slideshow to view the uncapping process!

CHEESE LESSON

I share with you a picture of yesterday's cheese tray. I want you notice the cheese in the center and the cheese at 12 o'clock. Most Americans would have discarded these cheeses long ago. However, they are the most special cheeses on the tray. Both began as a simple fresh goat cheese about the size of the cheese in the center. The cheese in the center is about 1 month old and has a bit of fluff growing on it. You know, good cheese is alive!!! The cheese at 12 o'clock was fresh in February and has been allowed to cellar age or age in a refrigerated situation where there is air circulation. So with this cheese tray in front of you, what do you choose and in what order.

At 9 o'clock is a Brique de Ewe. This is the mildest cheese and a place for you to begin. Next, at 2 o'clock is the Petit Basque (another ewe cheese but the process is different where the milk has been warmed and then the rind is rubbed with a salted cloth..causing the rind to get thicker and thicker). Then let's move to the first aged fresh goat cheese in the center. It has a bit more flavor than the fresh goat...don't shy away from the fluffy mold. It is okay. Remember cheese is living! Then the aged fresh at 12 o'clock....Before going further, I will tell you that I love all of them but I found this cheese a bit salty. As with all aging processes, flavors are concentrated. The mold you see on the cheese was not a problem, but the salt was for me. Finally, the cheese at 6 o'clock is calling me. I know this cheese and I love it!.. It stinks to high heaven when opened, but has a flavor that goes fabulously with red wine. It is Muenster from Alsace.

None of these cheeses are cut so that I can address the issue of 'cutting off the Pope's nose'.....a bit of cheese etiquette 101. Maybe another blog

P.S. I have corrected the times listed for my postings. They have been wrong. It is 8:05PM here and from now on you will see that I am posting on my time here in France....C'est 2:05PM in NC right now....

SEASONAL FARE

It is always an adventure finding out upon arrival what is blooming, what trees have fruit, what is in the garden. Today was no exception. Look at these luscious artichokes...les petit violet de Provence. I have a picture from my files that shows a larger variety of an artichoke that has been allowed to go to flower...that flower is the choke that we remove before eating.

Walk into the kitchen this morning and there are two big containers of fresh strawberries...and not just any strawberries. These are the berries from Carpentras which is known for these luscious gems. These berries are about the size of the end of my ring finger and really taste and smell like strawberries. They have not been hybridized to the point of being huge with no flavor. This is what strawberries are supposed to be. Rarely, do we find them in the States. It hasn't been long since my arrival and between Xavier and myself (mostly me), the baskets are empty. I transferred some to a dish for photgraphing....maybe you can catch a whiff.....YUM..



Now, on tap for tonight's dinner are white asparagus....Having had many last Spring when I was here, I am looking forward to the evening repas (actually, I look forward to it every night if the truth be known). But, I have never liked those that I purchase in the grocery stores at home. Maybe I don't do something right but they are always tough and bitter for me. These are tender and succulent....and even more so with Xavier's vinaigrette.

I was looking forward to picking the cherries from the tree at my house in a couple of weeks....the usual time for them to be ready, but Xavier tells me that Spring came early.........and between that and a frost at an inopportune time, there are few cherries to be had....It seems to be the same scenario that was played out in North Carolina this year.

This first blog was written in August of last year when I thought I would have the time to share my thoughts on a regular basis. Well, only one entry was completed. so here we are in the Spring of 2007 and again, I have the best of intentions. We'll see. Enjoy this teaser from last year and I will do my best to get this blog going.

August 2006....Am back in Provence and loving every minute....Il fait beau ici.....the sky is a rich, bright blue and the sun is pouring down....but it is not too hot, and there is definitely no humidity. What more could I ask for?

Before the blog started, I shared with many of you the trials and tribulations of my American dinner in Provence...where buying ribs required the butcher to buy whole pigs for every 2 slabs of ribs I requested. And his concern was, of course, how to sell the rest of the pig. Well, Xavier helped out by buying one of the heads...yes, the head. which he used to prepare Fromage de Tete.....a wonderful terrine that could be a first course or great light lunch... see photo of Petunia and Fromage de Tete de Porc.....I imagine some of you are saying they don't look like our ribs and indeed they didn't. Xavier trimmed the slab and this meat was cubed and used for yet another dinner .... Waste not, want not.....c'est si vrai en France (so true in France). Boy, do we take for granted all those packages of baby backs piled up at Costco! Note to our guests in France...it is doubtful that this would appear on one of your menus...so don't worry

I can't believe that I have finished THE cookbook and at the end of it (finished 3 hours before flight to France), I thought I never wanted to see or write another recipe. Well, I think it is just like having a baby....lots of people have more than one child! And I now know that the second book is in its infancy.....am working on the concept of Xavier and Mary James Dish it Out in Provence. This will include local Provencal favorites and also those foods that have been so popular with our tour groups. I thought there was no way that this would happen but have already begun to write and photograph... Thus this blog will mainly focus on food and be a helping tool for me in getting this book started....but then again I do not think that Fromage de Tete will make the book.

The simplicity of what we eat here is appealing to me....along with Petunia today, we had a simple salad of tomatoes from the garden, a few steamed haricot vert and a few new potatoes all finished with the very famous vinaigrette. YUM!

Now about the wine......Ro-zay is flowing.....my thumb has a callous from pushing the button on the box....more about the virtues of box wine in France in a later entry.....and I am missing my ice machine.. harvesting ice is a big responsibility here......Rose on ice. C'est le mieux. Have also had several good local Syrah's but we'll talk about red wine more when we get to my house on the 'other side' .......closer to the Rhone Valley...