Fig Jam

Figs are one of my all time favorite fruits.  I love to eat them fresh out of the box or wrapped in prosciutto for a quick lunch snack.  There is nothing like fig jam to put on top of cheese and pate.

Fairly soon I will start making some of my chiken liver pate and freezing it for the holidays so this week I also started on the jam to go with it. I don't bother with all the canning and sterilization process for it lasts for a couple of months in the fridge if you seal it well.   Even though you can buy it already made, there is nothing like the homemade stuff.  Maybe this year I will make a little extra and give them as presents to my dearest friends!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2 pounds green or purple figs, stemmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup water

Directions

1.In a large, nonreactive saucepan, toss the fig pieces with the sugar and let stand, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, until the sugar is mostly dissolved and the figs are juicy.

2.Add the lemon juice and water and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. Simmer the fig jam over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the fruit is soft and the liquid runs off the side of a spoon in thick, heavy drops, about 20 minutes.

3.Spoon the jam into three 1/2-pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch of space at the top. Close the jars and let cool to room temperature. Store the jam in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.


Notes

Variation: Substitute 1/2 cup of white port for the water and add one 4-inch sprig of rosemary with the lemon juice; discard the rosemary before jarring.
 
Recipe from Food And Wine

SHE WON FIRST PLACE!!

Well, lordy be...she did win after all...what you know!  You've got to buy the ticket, enter the race for you never, never know what is going to happen.

Lily, our "mini" Lab, the runt of a litter of 13 (!) lab/chow mix puppies, today, on her very first competition, won her class bringing  home First Price in the Juniors of the Dixie Dock Diving Dog Competition at the Lake Lanier Pet Fest.  We are so proud of her!

You will recall my post a few days ago, telling you about the competition and giving you a a joking low down of our family contestants. Never in my wildest dream...  The good thing was she progressed from the beginning, each time adding one or two feet, starting with 11 feet the first day and finishing with a winning dive of 16 ft!!!  No one in her group came anywhere near that jump. I know this all sounds terribly silly but its nice to see the underdog come in from behind!

We are hanging her ribbon over my bridge trophy which was as unexpected as hers!

Here are some pictures of the first day which was hot and miserable.  I had a toothache, had taken my meds, and Lucy was the worst I've ever seen her, wanting to get in on Lily's day no matter what.  We were not happy campers, to say the least, so I did not make it to day 2 and did not see the final jump.  Sunday was a miserable soggy day and I had a lunch to attend for my grandson.  Truthfully, I did not think she had a chance...   but someone else did...

Here's what Lily's mother wrote on her Facebook page:

Lily is a NATURAL! I knew it the day she started jumping off our dock on Lake Lanier. I entered her into two waves of competition at the Dixie Dock Dogs event at the Lake Lanier Pet Fest.


Well I was right. Lily pushed it again and again. first jump around 9 feet. I think her second jump was about 11 feet, third ten feet, fourth 13 feet 6 inches! this put her in the junior finals (divisions are split into ranges of distance.)


We woke Sunday morning to TORRENTIAL rain here in Northern GA. But Lily and I took a chance and drove up to Gainesville to see if the finals were still on. And they were... Lily's first jump was 14'3"... her second... are you ready for this... 16 feet!!!!! she WON!!! First place in the Junior finals! I am SO proud of her I could bust!

She's next!

getting pumped up

And away we go!

Splash!

2nd jump first day...13 ft!

So, you happy? Am I top dog now???

Whatever....

Here are some really great shots of the event. Some really great dogs. The best of the Event was an Australian shepherd named Shelby that jumped about 24 feet.

Here's Shelby!!

Dixie Dock Dogs sponsors "Chase Away Canine Cancer" 

Lily is donating her winnings to the Hall County Animal Shelter (seriously, she won $75!)

sponsors of the Lake Lanier Pet Fest

Easy Pumpkin Flans

This easy pumpkin flan is a great dessert to enjoy any night of the week.  I will be posting a fancier recipe that calls for a pumpkin seed praline sometime next week in Lindaraxa's Garden. 

Printable Recipe

SERVINGS: 6


INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup water

2 large eggs

4 large egg whites

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 cup organic pumpkin puree, unseasoned

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup milk

3/4 cup evaporated milk



PREPARATION


1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Put a kettle of water on to heat for the water bath.

2. In a heavy saucepan, combine the first amount of sugar with water. Bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally until sugar melts. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, without stirring, until caramel turns amber, 5 to 7 minutes. Carefully pour caramel into 3/4 cup ramekins and tilt to coat insides evenly. Set aside.

3. In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs, egg whites and second amount of sugar until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, ginger and vanilla; whisk until smooth. Stir in milk. Pour into prepared ramekins. Skim off any air bubbles.

4. Place a folded kitchen towel in a roasting pan. Place ramekins on towel. Add enough boiling water to the pan to come halfway up the outsides of the ramekins.

5. Bake flans for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a knife inserted in their centers comes out clean. Remove ramekins from water and let cool on wire rack. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours.

6. To serve, run a knife around the edge of each flan and invert into shallow dessert bowls.

Wild And Brown Rice With Cranberries and Pecans

The perfect companion to fowl or game.  It also makes for a great stuffing!

Serves 6-8

Hands-On Time: 20m
Total Time: 1hr 25m

Ingredients

1 32-ounce container low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup wild rice

1 1/4 brown rice

1 stick unsalted butter, plus more for the dish

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

3 stalks celery, finely chopped

1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh sage, finely chopped

1 cup pecans, finely chopped

1 cup dried apricots or cranberries, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper


Directions

1.Heat oven to 350° F.

2.In a pot, over medium-high heat, bring the broth and 1 cup* water to a boil. Add the wild rice and brown rice, reduce heat to low, and cover. Simmer until tender, about 45 minutes.

3.Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion and celery and cook for 10 minutes. Add the cooked rice, parsley, sage, pecans, apricots or cranberries, salt, and pepper and toss. Transfer to a buttered casserole. Cover and bake for 25 minutes.

*This recipe originally called for 2 cups of water.  I suggest you use one and if towards the end you notice the rice is still hard, slowly add the other, little by little. You might not need to add the whole cup.


Adapted from Real Simple

Quick Pear Chutney

This quick pear chutney, although not exactly the real thing,  is great with pork or game.

Ingredients

Serves 4

1/4 cup walnuts

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 shallot, minced

2 ripe but firm pears, cored and cut into 1/4-inch dice

6 tablespoons cider vinegar

3 tablespoons honey

4 whole cloves

1/4 cup golden raisins

*ground ginger

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread walnuts in a single layer on a small rimmed baking sheet, and toast until fragrant and browned, 7 to 9 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool, and roughly chop. Set aside.

2.Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot, and saute until softened, about 2 minutes. Add pears, vinegar, honey, and cloves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook until pears are tender, 4 to 5* minutes. Discard cloves, and stir in raisins and reserved walnuts. Remove from heat. Serve warm or at room temperature.

.* I leave this a little longer and mash some of the pears to make it more "chutney" like.  I also add 1/2 tsp ground ginger.

 Adapted from MarthaStewart.

Roast Pork Loin With Pancetta

A wonderful main course for the Fall.  All you need is a Cauliflower Puree and a simple Pear Chutney, coming up!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Serves 4

1 pork loin (1 1/2 pounds)

8 to 10 cipollini, or small white onions, unpeeled

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

FOR THE WRAP

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary, plus several sprigs

1/4 pound pancetta (Italian bacon), or bacon, thinly sliced

FOR THE SAUCE

1 teaspoon unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

1 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Season pork with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Sear pork on all sides until browned, about 10 minutes total. Remove from heat.

2.Rub pork with chopped rosemary; wrap with pancetta, overlapping strips slightly. Lay rosemary sprig on top; tie pork with kitchen twine. Scatter onions and rosemary sprigs around pork. Roast in oven, basting occasionally with cooking juices, until internal temperature is 145 degrees on a meat thermometer, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven. Transfer pork and onions to a platter; cover with foil.

3.Make pan sauce: In a small bowl, combine butter and flour. Pour off fat from skillet; place over medium heat. Add stock, scraping bottom of skillet to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil; reduce liquid slightly, about 2 minutes. Whisk in butter mixture; cook until thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot with pork and onions.

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Recipe from Martha Steward Living 2003

Tomato Sauce With Onions And Butter

This recipe blew the mind of some of blogdom's top food bloggers last year.  This simple recipe! You can make it with ingredients most of you will probably have in your pantry, although you must use San Marzano tomatoes.  Don't skimp, most grocery stores have them.  You will find it doesn't even need Parmesan Cheese,  Try it without, then if you must add some, and don't be tempted to add anything else. The flavor of the sauce is so delicate, fresh and sweet that it needs nothing at all.

Serves 4 as a main course; makes enough sauce to lightly coat most of a pound of spaghetti

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

28 ounces (800 grams) whole peeled tomatoes from a can (San Marzano, if you can find them)*

5 tablespoons (70 grams) unsalted butter

1 medium-sized yellow onion, peeled and halved

Salt to taste

Put the tomatoes, onion and butter in a heavy saucepan (it fit just right in a 3-quart) over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a simmer then lower the heat to keep the sauce at a slow, steady simmer for about 45 minutes, or until droplets of fat float free of the tomatoes. Stir occasionally, crushing the tomatoes against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat, discard the onion, add salt to taste (you might find, as I did, that your tomatoes came salted and that you didn’t need to add more) and keep warm while you prepare your pasta.

Serve with spaghetti, with or without grated parmesan cheese to pass.

Adapted from Marcela Hazan’s Essentials of Italian Cooking
Via Smitten Kitchen (Photos)