Fabulous Figs

fig.jpegThe other day at the Co-op I spotted this season’s first figs. Reflection on figs brings back many joyous memories. My first taste of a fresh fig was when I was living in Italy. We were on a small pilgrimage from our tiny hill town to another neighboring town. Along the trail someone pointed out a fig tree. To be completely honest I had not ever seen a non-dried version of the gorgeous fruit up until that point. I bit right into the flesh (having been instructed by the fig lovers in the group). The skin was a vibrant green and purple while the interior an earthy red studded with thousands of seeds and a sweet fibrous fruit.

Another fig encounter came when working at Spago. One night, while in the rush of getting ready for dinner service, an older gentleman walked right into the kitchen. I could tell, wearing jeans, t-shirt and dirty old hat that he wasn’t at Spago to dine. Instead he and his lovely wife were delivering our weeks supply of figs straight from their trees to our kitchen. Boxes and boxes of figs poured in. It was a parade of pefect figs in mulitple varities. My eyes lit up as I watched the splendid fruits being brought in. The chef ripped into a couple and proceeded to give a lesson on choosing the perfect fig just by looking at the exterior flesh. A lesson that became muted as my senses were singing at the taste of the incredible fruit.

So why the reflections on figs? Well first of all because they are in season and we all know that produce was meant to be enjoyed in the season in which they are at their best, and right now in Washington figs are beautiful. Secondly I want to encourage you to demistify this underused yet delicious fruit by incorporating figs into a few of your own dishes. (Although they are also wonderful on their own.)

If you would like suggestions on how to incorporate figs into your daily culinary life please check out this link (on the left side of the page click on “Fig ideas A-Z”).  I think you will find some great ideas.

www.californiafigs.com

Thanks Grandma

Although she will probably never see this I just wanted to give a big sweet thanks to my Grandma for sharing her pie crust recipe with me. It has changed my pastry perception. In the last week I have made four pies (two peach, an apple and a chicken pot pie). Tomorrow I will be making the pie crust but skipping the filling. Nothing better than straight pie crust baked with a little cinnamon and sugar.

The recipe itself is not really in exact written form. Grandma had to make it in front of me to show me the texture and the feel of it to know if it was right. So if you are ever in my area I would love to share the technique.

I truly love the way Grandma’s bake. Every single baking book you buy now always stresses the importance of accuracy when measuring, the precision needed with mixing and the need for a scale, all that I agree with, but I love seeing older women in the kitchen who are so comfortable with their recipes that they just know how it is suppose to “feel”. In a sense that is more accurate than any scale because outlying conditions exist as such that even if you have the flour exact to the nearest tenth of a gram the moisture content due to weather conditions or other factors, may still alter the product. But if you know how the mix is suppose to feel and act then you can rely on your instincts more than technicalities.

All that to say, Thanks Grandma! What a cherished memory I will always have from the day I learned how to make the most perfect pie crust.

Grandma’s Pie Crust

2 cups All-Purpose flour

pinch salt

1/2 cup oil

1/4 cup milk

Combine all ingredients. Can either be pressed into the pan or rolled out between two sheets of parchment. Grandma uses this for a double crust but I often double this recipe as I like my crusts pretty thic.