Autumn – Page 15 – BIG EATS tiny kitchen

Get Figgy With It…..

I think the fig is the most beautiful fruit…hands down. When it comes to food porn, the fig takes the cake. Cut open a fresh fig and I dare you to not be smitten. I am perfectly satisfied to eat fresh figs until my stomach churns….similar issues that I have when confronted with A) pecan pie and B) ketchup…yes, ketchup is a downfall of mine. I swear I have no idea what a tater tot actually tastes like….but I digress.

Back to the star of this dessert….the fig! So, figs are here and I bought a metric boat load. Before they went bad, I decided to use them in a rustic tart….also known as a gilette. I’m in deep smit with gilettes. They are easy and fabulous to make for gatherings. I made my own crust (preferable), but I have also used frozen pie crust in a pinch. The figs are quartered and placed over an almond paste also known as frangipane. I used salted and roasted almonds and simply rinsed the salt off of them. You can use raw almonds and roast them in an oven at 350F for 10 minutes, stirring frequently so that they don’t burn. I also recommend eating this with a fresh cream or my favorite…good vanilla ice cream.

Note: This dessert can be made with other fruit besides fig. Recently, I made a galette with thinly sliced apples tossed in cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar…mmmm. You could also substitute the figs for plums or peaches, or whatever is in season.

Fig and Almond Gilette (adapted from www.simplyrecipes.com)

1 1/4 Cup all purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1/2 Cup butter (1 stick), cut into 1/2 inch small cubes and placed in the freezer for 15 minutes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 Cup of ice water
1 1/2 pounds of fresh figs, tips removed, quatered
1/4 Cup roasted almonds
1 tsp lemon zest
3 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1 egg
1 egg white

CRUST: If you are daring enough to make your own (and I recommend it), use either a food processor or a mixing bowl and combine flour and sugar. Add butter and process until mixture resembles a coarse meal, approximately 10 seconds. If not using a food processor, You can use two knives or a pastry blender to cut butter into small pieces until they are the size of small peans. With food processor running, gradually add water and egg yolk through the feed tube. OR if you are like me and doing it by hand, just pour this stuff in. Stir with a wooden spoon until dough is not wet and sticky and holds together. Do not over mix (mix for less than 30 seconds). Wrap dough in plastic and chill for at least an hour.

ALMOND PASTE (FRANGIPANE): Grind almonds in a food processor with flour and sugar. Add egg. If not using right away, store this in the fridge for up to three days or freezer for a month.

ASSEMBLE GALETTE: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove pastry dough from fridge 30 minutes prior to using. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. Press out to 10″ to 12″ diameter. Leave a 2 to 3″ border. Ttransfer crust to the baking sheet (something I keep forgetting to do and end up transferring the pie after it has been assembled elsewhere). Spread almond paste on the dough leaving a 2″ border. Quarter the figs and place them over the almond paste. Sprinkle lemon zest over figs. For the crust, brush the endue of the crust with an egg white. Sprinkle the whole thing with raw sugar and bake for about 45-50 minutes, or until the pastry edges are golden brown.

It is the end of summer and the markets and gardens are overflowing with zucchini. Unfortunately, squash bugs took over my garden. So, I am relegated to enjoying the fruitful harvest of other local gardeners. I had so much extra zucchini from my community supported agriculture (CSA) pickup that I decided to shred it and freeze it, waiting for the perfect time to unleash the oven again. As the cool air has FINALLY came in, I decided to use my extra zucchini in a warm spiced zucchini bread this morning.

Now, this ain’t your normal zucchini bread….get ready. It is bursting with amazing flavors and aromas that come from ginger, lemon zest, cinnamon, and…wait for it….curry powder. Ya, sounds weird…and I too balked at it when I first read the original recipe on Heidi Swanson’s blog 101 cookbooks.com. But seriously folks, I am a convert. The warm golden color from the curry with flecks of zucchini are a sure fire winner in this quick bread. DO IT!

Lemon-Ginger Zucchini Bread (adapted from 101cookbook.com), makes 1 awesome loaf.

Zest of one lemon
1 inch portion of fresh ginger (grated)
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 Cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 Cup packed fine grain natural cane sugar or brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 Cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 to 1/2 Cups grated zucchini, with skins, squeeze some of the moisture out and then fluff it up again before using (if defrosting…drain for 30 minutes in colander)
1 1/2 Cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 tablespoon curry powder

PREP: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray one 5×9 inch loaf pan with nonstick spray and set aside. In a small bowl combine lemon zest and grated ginger. Set aside.

WET INGREDIENTS: In a mixer, beat the butter until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and scrape down the sides of the bowl to all that goodness stirred in. With a wooden spoon, stir in the vanilla and then the zucchini.

DRY INGREDIENTS: In a separate bowl, combine the whole wheat pastry flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and curry powder.

COMBINE: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two batches, stirring with wooden spoon between each addition. Fold in the lemon zest and ginger mixture. DO NOT OVERMIX!

BAKE: Add the batter to the greased loaf pan. Top with nuts if you want. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes on the middle rack of the oven.

COOL: Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the bread pan for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool on a wire rack (or eat immediately, like me).

EAT: Pour a big honkin’ glass o’ milk and ENJOY!