Now Bring Me Some Figgy Ice Cream

Figs are one item I rarely see at the grocery store.  In this age of "everything always" with respect to produce, figs are one of those special items that only show up in the grocery store at specific, narrow times of year.  Therefore, I was so happy to see boxes and boxes of figs at Whole Foods the other day.  I immediately snatched up a package!

For the past few days I had been in an ice cream inspiration slump.  I hate to repeat flavors no matter how delicious they are, and I just couldn't decide in what direction I wanted to go for my next batch.  The figs got me out of that slump!  I had often wished I could make David Lebovitz's Fig Ice Cream because the giant picture of it in the Perfect Scoop just looked so delicious, and it sounded so unique.  That being said, I did not make David Lebovitz's Fig Ice Cream.  Later, after buying the figs, I was on Foodgawker (of course) and one of the first postings was a Balsamic Fig Ice Cream from a blog I had never seen but that was totally calling out to me - a blog all about ice cream, sorbets, etc.!  Having made balsamic roasted strawberries a few weeks ago, I was confident that balsamic vinegar pairs very nicely with fresh fruit...in such an unexpected but delightful way.  I adapted the ice cream base of the recipe, opting for a cognac, egg-thickened ice cream rather than just plain vanilla, but otherwise I followed the fig compote recipe, and it was absolutely fabulous.  

Speaking of cognac, this recipe used the last drop of the bottle of cognac we had had in the basement for decades before I started making ice cream...and yes, solely through my ice cream adventures, I have decimated the bottle.  I think mother was shocked to see the bottle empty...but she was eating the ice cream, too!  She even complimented the fig ice cream on its delicious cognac-y flavor.  Yumm!  The wonders a little alcohol does to flavor and smoothness!

Balsamic Fig Ice Cream

Adapted from Scoop Adventures

Ingredients:

Fig Compote:

• 1 1/2 heaping cups of chopped fresh figs (I think mine were brown Turkish figs)
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp high-quality balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp cognac

Ice Cream Base:

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup sugar, divided
• 1/2 vanilla bean
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tbsp cognac

Directions:

1. Combine the figs and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Stir occasionally and gently until the sugar melts, a minute or two.  
2. Add the balsamic vinegar and cognac.  Cook for 30 seconds, just enough to heat all the ingredients.  Remove from the heat, let cool to room temperature, then put the compote in the fridge until you are ready to freeze your ice cream.
3. In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream, whole milk, pinch of salt, and 1/4 a cup of the sugar.  Split the half vanilla bean down the middle, scrape out the seeds, and add them to the saucepan along with the pod itself.  Heat the milk mixture until you start to see little bubbles around the edge of the pan; you just want to scald the milk, not boil it!
4. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and remaining sugar in a medium, heat-proof bowl to combine.
5. When the milk is hot, slowly pour it into the egg yolks, whisking constantly.
6. When all the milk has been added, pour the egg-milk mixture back into the saucepan and cook over very low heat, stirring constantly with a heat-proof spatula, until the ice cream base has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.  This will take a few minutes, the exact time depending on your stove, heat, etc.
7. Position a fine mesh sieve over a medium bowl.  After the base has thickened, remove it from the heat, and pour it through the sieve into the bowl.
8. Make an ice/water bath and put the bowl into the bath to cool the ice cream base.
9. Stir in the cognac.
10. Continue to stir occasionally as the base cools.  When cool, transfer the base to the fridge to get it really cold, at least 4 hours.
11. When the base is very cold, you are ready to freeze it!  Freeze according to your ice cream maker's instructions.  In the last 5 minutes of churning, add in the fig compote.
12. Enjoy on a cone or in a bowl, on the deck or on the couch, for afternoon snack or evening dessert!

Such a cute little fruit!  So plump!

A very sophisticated and very delicious scoop!

My conclusion: I'm definitely taking advantage of figs while they're available!

Farm Veggie Salad

This weekend, I went to get my hair cut.  On my way to the salon, I spotted a new farmers market!  It was such a pleasant surprise, and it took the ultimate will power not to stop by the market before my hair appointment (and I was already late).  Luckily, the market was just two blocks down from the salon, so my plan was to go right after.  As I sat impatiently, waiting for the dryer to dry faster, I wondered which familiar vendors I would see.  Hair cut, dried, paid, I almost flew out of the salon and towards the market.  So many wonderful veggies!!  Of course, I already had lots of these from my CSA, but it was nice to see the displays plus some vegetables and fruits we hadn't received yet.  I couldn't resist getting a few things...especially when I spotted sweet corn and sugar snap peas (I had just polished off the pint from our CSA).

As soon as I got home, I set to work preparing a delicious veggie salad.  It was delicious and oh so refreshing for the hot summer day!  Normally, I don't make the same thing twice (why make the same thing over and over when there's not enough time to try everything in the first place!), but I think I will definitely do this (or something similar) again.

Farm Veggie Salad
adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 10 super plump sugar snap peas, chopped into bits
• 1 ear fresh sweet corn, kernels cut off
• 5 french breakfast radishes, sliced thin
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 cup sheep feta
• zest of 1 lime (organic)
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp honey
• pinch of cumin
• pinch of sumac
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Combine the peas, corn, radishes, scalions, dill, and feta in a medium bowl.  Zest the lime into the bowl.  Toss.
2. Make the dressing: whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, honey, spices, salt, and pepper.  Taste and adjust seasonings.
3. Pour the dressing onto the veggies.  Toss until everything is coated well.
4. I let the salad sit for 30 minutes to let the flavors blend...and to let me clean up my kitchen mess.  

So colorful and bright (both in looks and taste)!  Definitely a summer salad.

In other news...I also picked up a new pet at the farmers market.  Initially, I was inspired by her yellow-orange baubles and decided to name her Clementine.  When I was watering her the following day, however, her luscious locks of stem screamed Roberta to me.  So finally, she will be dubbed Roberta Clementine.  And in these hot days when I feel super sluggish and lazy, I will probably just refer to her as Bert or Clem...oooh there's another name Clemberta?  Let's just say her name may always be changing.

Nice stems... 

Oooh look at those yellow-orange beauties!  Ready to be picked yumm.

Egg Nests

A few weeks ago, I was looking up the timing for boiling eggs (I was craving deviled eggs...who knows why because I never liked them before!  But they were delicious...).  In this process, I stumbled upon the most adorable thing I had ever seen: egg nests.  The recipe was so simple, but the product was so elegant!  I knew I wanted to make them eventually, but it was just a matter of when.  I finally took advantage of the oven being on the other morning to make these cutie little nests.

The result was divine!  Fluffy eggs whites made the perfect "sponge" to sop up all the rich, runny egg yolk.  And again, they were super cute to look at.

These egg nests would be the perfect brunch dish.  They are easy to make, fast, and easy on the eyes.

Egg Nests
adapted from Simply Recipes

The following recipe will be for one egg; just multiply based on how many eggs you want to make!

Ingredients:

• 1 egg, separated (if doing multiple eggs, keep the yolks of each egg in separate cups)
• 2 tbsp grated cheese (parmesan, gruyere, gouda, manchego...anything you like)
• salt (about 1/8 tsp) and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. Whip the egg white until it holds stiff peaks.
3. Fold in the cheese, salt, and pepper.
4. Place the whipped egg white onto the baking sheet so that you form a little mound.  Make a little indentation in the middle.  It should look like a nest!
5. Bake in the oven for 3 minutes.  
6. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and carefully slip the egg yolk into the middle of the nest.
7. Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake for another 3 minutes.
8. Serve immediately with some yummy toast (or homemade baguette).

This beauty was worthy of a glamour shot on the garden rocks.

I think next time I'll jazz up the egg whites a little bit more.  Perhaps some herbs or spinach folded in...because who doesn't like green eggs?


And just in case you were curious about those deviled eggs I mentioned...

Hey!  Don't eat my eggs, Mr. Froggy!

Mademoiselle Baguette

I haven't been able to make bread in quite some time because it has been so hot!  No one wants to turn up the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour when it is over ninety degrees outside.  (False: I do because I'll stop at nothing to get my baking-fix...but for the comfort of the others in the house and to spare myself the protests, I resist.)  Finally, it cooled down, and I went right to work.  First I'd need a new  To the library!  I had previously made bagels following a recipe by Peter Reinhart, and after some research, it was clear to me that he was definitely an impressive authority on bread.  The books I found of his at the library were amazing - so many pictures and lots of detailed instructions.   I decided to attempt making baguettes following the recipe for Pain de Campagne (similar to the classic French bread recipe but with a little whole wheat flour for more flavor and rustic-ness).

So the recipe is too long to type here, but I'm putting up lots of pictures of the whole process...and hey, a picture is worth a thousand words, right?

Day 1.  The pre-ferment.

Plop.

After 8 minutes of kneading.  Bam - the day's workout done.  Into the fridge for the night.

Day 2.  The pre-ferment out of the fridge.

Additional ingredients for the dough.

Everybody in.

Note: I had to add the bowl shield...if only I had thought of this before I got covered in a poooof of flour and yeast.

Shagg-ay.

More kneading.  

Phew!  Cute little roundy.

Time to RISE for 2 hours.

It rose to double its size many three whole times...each time I had to de-gas it lest the yeast be over-gassed!

All ready for shaping.

First, divided into four.

Second, batard shape.

Finally, full baguette shape.

Things got so hectic around baking time (yes, it's very stressful) that I forgot to take a pre-bake picture.  The top two I cut into epi form.  The bottom two I just slashed as regular baguettes.  The baking process includes a steam pan and misting the inside of the oven three times in the first two minute of baking.

Golden brown and super crusty!

Epi!

Cool spikes. 

Baguette!  (C - doesn't this look like the 20 year old mini baguette that's in the doll house?)

Super crusty crust and soft, light inside!

My overnight bread keeper contraption.

Photo shoot in the sun the next day.

Don't these slices look like hearts?  I was so delighted to see this!

Mmm still so crusty and delicious the next day!

With jam, almond butter, avocado, banana (not all at once), this bread is fabulous.  The overnight pre-ferment really helps it to develop a rich taste and the steaming in the oven creates the most fabulous crust.

I need to work on my bread shaping a bit...I guess I'll just have to get back to work and make another batch!  Too bad we're in another heat wave...

Pesto Salmon Burgers

So a few days ago I made a very large batch of garlic scape pesto (garlic scapes, basil, parmesan cheese, lemon, toasted sunflower seeds, salt, pepper...I think that was all).  I had it on pasta a few times, and it was delicious, but I wanted another application for my pesto to spice things up a bit.  Luckily I stumbled upon "50 Ways to Use Pesto" on the Foodnetwork.com website!  One thing that caught my eye was Pesto Salmon Burgers.  I knew we had some canned salmon in the pantry, so this would be perfect to put together quickly for lunch.  Eaten with some farm fresh lettuce, homemade baguette (post to come), and some avocado - it was absolutely delicious!

Pesto Salmon Burgers
inspired by Foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:

• 1 6oz. can of salmon
• 2 heaping tbsp pesto
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup frozen corn kernels, defrosted
• 2 generous handfuls of fresh basil leaves, chopped
• lemon juice, to taste
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Drain the liquid from canned salmon and put the drained salmon in a medium bowl.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well with a fork.  Taste and make any adjustments necessary.
3. Use an ice cream scoop to measure out the patties - I got exactly four (it always makes me smile when things work out so evenly).  Make the patties about a 1/2 inch thick and press them firmly together.
4. At this point, I wasn't ready to cook the burgers, so I put them in the fridge for 2 hours.  I think this helped them firm up so they didn't break apart during the cooking process.
5. Coat the bottom of a pan with olive oil (not too much, but don't be too skimpy either because you don't want the burgers to stick).  Heat over medium-high heat.
6. Cook the patties for 4 minutes on each side.  Be gentle with them!
7. Serve warm or cold.

Confession: one patty fell apart a little as I was taking it out of the pan.  Needless to say, it was not worthy of this glamour shot...but it was worthy of a home in my belly!

Beetiful Ice Cream

One of my all time favorites: the beet.  Red, pink, striped, golden - I adore them all!  Beets are seriously addicting, and once I cook them, they don't stick around for long.  My favorite way to prepare beets is just cut into wedges, tossed in olive oil, salt, and pepper, roasted in the oven, and then drizzled with fresh orange juice.  I also always cook the beet greens because they are fabulous!

It's not just the taste of beets that makes them so fantastic; it's also their whimsical colors, especially the deep pinky-redness of the red beets.  People often think of beets in savory preparations, but they are also quite wonderful in desserts because of their natural sweetness.  My friend's mom once referred to the beet as nature's candy.  I agree!  So last summer I made beet cupcakes.  The cake and the frosting both had beet puree in them, so they came out in wonderful shades of pink!  I knew I wanted to go the dessert route with beets again...but in what direction exactly would I go?

I have long used The Perfect Scoop recipes for my ice cream creations, but I found a new book at the library a few months ago: Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home.  I was intrigued by the unique ice cream flavor combinations as well as the composition of her ice cream base.  The previous batches of ice cream I had made usually contained milk, cream, and egg yolks.  These recipes, however, were based on milk, cream, mascarpone or cream cheese, cornstarch, and light corn syrup.  I was curious to see if the end product would be just as creamy and decadent as an ice cream made with egg yolks.

To my delight, Jeni had a recipe for Beet Ice Cream with Mascarpone, Orange Zest, and Poppy Seeds.  I eagerly went to work!  The end result was amazing.  The most gorgeous deep pink with an excellent orange taste - almost like an orange creamsicle - and a delightful little crunch from the poppy seeds.  You can't really taste the beets, but they do impart the unique color of this ice cream.  It was very smooth and easily scooped from the container, which is always a plus!

Beet Ice Cream with Mascarpone, Orange Zest, and Poppy Seeds

Recipe (slightly adapted and halved) from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home by Jeni Britton Bauer

Ingredients:

• two small beets
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 oz mascarpone
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp heavy cream
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp light corn syrup
• zest of half an orange, peeled in large strips using a veggie peeler (I used an organic Valencia orange, the zest of which has a very sweet flavor)
• 1 tbsp poppy seeds

Directions:

1. Roast your beets according to your favorite method: I wrapped them in tin foil and cooked them in the oven (while I had something else baking at 350 degrees Fahrenheit) for about an hour until they were soft when poked with a fork.
2. Cool the beets slightly then peel them.  Cut the beets into chunks and puree in a food processor (I used my mini prep!).  Force the puree through a sieve.
3. Measure out  a heaping 1/4 cup of warm beet puree and then mix this with the 1 tbsp of sugar.  Set aside to cool.
4. Mix 1 tbsp of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl to make a smooth slurry. 
5. Whisk the mascarpone, beet puree, and salt in a medium bowl until smooth.
6. Combine the remaining milk, cream, 1/3 cup sugar, corn syrup, and orange zest in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring very often.  Boil for 4 minutes, stirring very often.
7. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the cornstarch slurry.
8. Bring mixture back to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring with a spatula, until slightly thickened.  This should take about a minute.  You'll know you have the right thickness when you insert a wooden spoon into the mixture and the mixture coats the back of the spoon; if you run your finger down the spoon, the mixture should leave a definite path rather than flowing in.  Remove from the heat.
9. Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the mascarpone mixture until smooth.
10. Place the bowl into an ice bath (or if you have no ice, like me, into a cold water bath...you may just have to refresh the cold water once or twice after it absorbs heat from the mixture).  Let stand, stirring occasionally until cool. 
11. Place the mixture in the fridge for a few hours until it's super cold.
12. When ready to freeze, remove the orange zest and poor the ice cream into the frozen canister of your ice cream machine.  Add the poppy seeds and spin until thick (about 20 minutes for my machine).
13. Pack the ice cream into a freezer storage container (might I suggest a Frigoverre), press a sheet of parchment directly against the surface, put on the lip, and freeze until completely firm.
14. Enjoy!

A cone does wonders to one's ice cream just as stilettos do wonders to one's legs!

Savoring every...

...last bite.

Uh oh!  All gone!

Arug-ooh-la-la

Is there anything more unique than the taste of arugula?  I can't find anything to compare it to.  People call it spicy or peppery, and yes, I suppose that gets to some of its subtleties...but still, I can't find a way to fully describe its taste.  Just trust me, arugula is the perfect spring or summertime green to add pizzaz to your meal!

Now, I love a good pesto, but I'm always hesitant to make classic basil pesto because it basically requires me to decimate the two basil plants we have growing on the deck.  I can't bear to do it!  Adding arugula to pesto gives it excellent body and a yummy, extra refreshing taste.

Here is the result of my arugula pesto adventure.  I apologize that all the following measurements are rather approximate.  This was a "throw-together" dish - that turned out amazingly well - so I didn't take careful measurements.  The beauty about pesto, however, is that it's all about you and what you like.  No pesto recipe fits everyone perfectly.  Start out with a recipe or ingredient ideas, taste and add as you go, and eventually you will have the besto pesto for you!

Arugula Basil Pesto

Ingredients:

• 5-6 cups arugula (leaves and stems)
• 1-2 cups basil leaves
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, toasted
• 2 tbsp feta (I had previously marinated mine in olive oil, garlic, balsamic vinegar, and marjoram)
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• zest of half a lemon
• juice of half a lemon
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Put arugula, basil, and toasted sunflower seeds in a food processor (I used my beloved mini-prep!).  Chop until fine.
2. Add in the feta and parmesan.  Chop for another few seconds.
3. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice.  Chop for another few seconds.
4. Through the feed tube, with the processor on, drizzle in the olive oil.
5. Add the balsamic vinegar.  Chop a few times.
6. Taste and then add any necessary salt and pepper.
7. Make any final touches you may need to...bit of this, bit of that.  Perhaps more oil?  Perhaps more cheese (yes, always!)?  Perhaps more chopping?

I chose to toss the pesto with some pasta and bite-size pieces of roast chicken, finishing with a garnish of chopped dried figs.  Finally, I grated some extra parmesan cheese on top and drizzled a little more fresh lemon juice.  It was the perfect, refreshing meal to enjoy on the deck in the lovely sunlight!

These pasta are like long spaghetti with a hole through the middle...heehee they look like worms.

Previously, arugula was something I just tolerated - I never really liked it.  Now, however, I can't get enough!  Arugula on pasta, on pizza, on salad, give me more!  Sadly, I used the last of our arugula in this pesto...and I had leftovers, but then C and a friend came over 30 min later and gobbled it up, so leftovers no more.  Hopefully this week's CSA brings another bunch (or two please) of arugula!