Banana-Fig Smoothie with Kefir and Cinnamon

Hello fair friends!  This little family has successfully made it through the toughest, gnarliest part of harvest in wine country yet another year!  A round of applause and much cin-cining is in order.  But first, can I brighten your morning with a gracefully healthy smoothie recipe?

Since Daniel has been waking at the daunting and dreary 6am hour, I too have been rising earlier to get my coffee and breakfast in before work.  Not quite as early, don't fret.  I'm talking more like the very very civilized 7:30am.  Turns out this ritual is actually a luxury and I'm hooked.  The house is mine, the coffee is sipped with purpose, and smoothies just taste better when they are freshly smoothied (??).  You know.  I peruse all of my online haunts, catch up on emails (email me people!), and try to gear up for the day without rushing about too much.

The smoothie changes based on whatever I have/what is about to turn, but this new one is a keeper.  It is my first foray with kefir, the hip fermented milk drink that has all of the champions of pro-biotics going gahgah gulp.  (I originally typed bro-biotics there and think that would make an excellent title to a short film in which frat boys discuss the benefits of healthy gut bacteria.....)

KEFIR.  It's real weird tasting alone.  I can't recommend it.  Bubbly, sour, viscous milk does not a tasty beverage make.  But!  When blended with a ripe banana, a date, a few figs and cinnamon, you have a balanced and tasty breakfast smoothie.

Fun kefir fact straight from wikipedia: Traditional kefir was made in skin bags that were hung near a doorway; the bag would be knocked by anyone passing through the doorway to help keep the milk and kefir grains well mixed.

I unfortunately do not have a skin bag full of kefir at my door for knocking, but I do have a natural grocery store down the way with a whole fridge shelf dedicated to the stuff.

BANANA-FIG SMOOTHIE with KEFIR AND CINNAMON
serves one

1 ripe banana
2 figs
1 date
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup plain kefir
ice

Blend. 

Sprinkle with more cinnamon.  Serve.  

Best with coffee and the morning's news.

Ficus Carica, The Common Fig

Incredibly, I find myself having again neglected this medium during the warm, lazy summer months (and a few more) only to be inspired, again, by the common fig.  I know what I love about this fruit - that it can be simultaneously sweet and savory, its fragility in texture and taste, that soft skin.  A fig can be so sexy and yet so damn dumpy, all at the same time.  Like an aging opera signer who can still hit every high note.

The Buddha, it is somehow consoling to know, in the search for perfect understanding, sat in meditation beneath a fig - a bo - tree.

I've discovered two very large secret fig trees and all of the fruit is for me and the birds, who certainly have had their fair share.  In just about ten minutes I managed to pick nearly 6 1/2 pounds of luscious, gorgeously ripe figs, which I brought home to preserve, roast, slice - to devour in every which way.

At first I simply binged on figs.  Just fresh figs.  I picked out the ripest of the ripest and couldn't help but eat handful after handful.  Every time I bit into a green fig and saw that hot pink interior, I had to eat another, just to make sure it was as dazzling as the last.  Although it probably cannot be helped, I would not necessarily recommend this - your belly will thank me - and besides, when you add just a touch of heat to a ripe fig it transforms into one of nature's sweetest edibles.

The recipes for figs are endless, and I shan't wax on too long.  But to begin, start simply. 

BROILED FIGS

fresh, ripe figs, cut in half
honey

Drizzle honey over figs and broil for about 15 minutes, or until figs are starting to bubble and are heated through.  Serve with yogurt, whipped cream, mascarpone, or ice cream.  They are particularly tasty with Strawberry or Lemon Verbena Ice Cream, below. 

LEMON VERBENA ICE CREAM
adapted from David Lebovitz 

1 1/2 cups loosely packed lemon verbena leaves 
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
3 egg yolks

In a medium saucepan, warm the milk, 1/2 cup cream, sugar, salt, and lemon verbena leaves.  Do not bring to a boil!

Once warm, remove from heat and let steep for at least an hour. 

To make custard, pour remaining cream into a large bowl set atop a bowl of ice water.  

Remove the lemon verbena leaves and discard.  Rewarm the infused milk-cream mixture.  In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolks and very slowly, whisking constantly, add the warm infusion.  Return the  mixture to the saucepan and cook, stirring continuously until the custard coats the back of a wooden spoon.  It should be thick enough that you can run your finger through it, leaving a trail.  

Immediately strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve into the cold cream.  Stir until cool.  

Chill thoroughly - overnight is best - and then process in your ice cream maker. 

Figs for days and days.

According to D. H. Lawrence:

The proper way to eat a fig, in society, 
Is to split it in four, holding it by the stump, 
And open it, so that it is a glittering, rosy, moist, honied, heavy petalled four-petalled flower.
Then you throw away the skin
Which is just like a four-sepalled calyx, 
After you have taken off the blossom with your lips. 

But the vulgar way
Is just to put your mouth to the crack, and take out the flesh in one bite.

Every fruit has its secret.

My private fig trees are proving to be bountiful this season and I couldn't be happier filling my basket with their endless supply.  I stretch, I climb, I stoop and I pick, pick, pick.  I've discovered dozens of new ways to eat figs.  Simply - try with just a drizzle of good olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sliced tomatoes, feta, basil, and a handful of toasted sunflower seeds.  Decadently - stuffed with blue cheese and my walnut pesto and broiled until bubbly.   And finally, resourcefully - preserving every morsel in the form of jams, pickles, and chutneys.

Figs are one of the easiest of fruits to jam with.  They are a breeze to prep - no seeds, pits, nor peels - and even the ripest of the ripest lend themselves to the most perfect of jammy consistency.  I've found many recipes that call for equal parts figs to sugar, which is just way way too much by my standards.  Figs are naturally very sweet and shouldn't be overwhelmed by additional sugar.  You certainly need enough for the jam to set, but it shouldn't be cloying.  I found one part fig to a half part sugar to be perfect.  You can always adjust based on the sweetness of your figs.

Additions such as spices, vanilla, lemon, and herbs are all welcome here.  Figs are particularly fond of lavender, honey, tarragon, balsamic and dark booze.  I went the boozy route, obviously.  And oh my - what a star of a jam!  The brother drooled over it when paired with a tart, grassy Loire Valley goat cheese and would not shut up until I sent him home with a jar.  The bourbon and lemon give it a bit of a kick while the brown sugar adds a deep richness and lovely mouth feel.  After the cheese course, spoon it over grilled pork and then finally on a scoop vanilla ice cream and you'll have incorporated it into every dish of the meal.

FIG JAM
with Bourbon, Lemon, and Brown Sugar

3 pounds fresh, ripe figs - washed and cut into quarters 
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 lemons - peel removed and sliced thinly, lemons are then juiced
1/2 cup bourbon
pinch of salt

To prepare your jars: wash them in hot soapy water and sterilize either in a water bath of boiling water or in a 275 degree oven for 15 minutes - jars should be HOT.  Put lids in a pot of water, bring almost to a boil. Do not boil as it could effect the sealant.  Put a small plate in the freezer for set test.  

Combine all ingredients in a large pot.  Let them sit for about an hour so the flavors start to develop and the figs begin to break down. 

Turn the heat on low and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring often.  Keep an eye on the jam and make sure it doesn't boil over.  Stir often so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the saucepan.  

After about 45 minutes to an hour, check the consistency.  The jam should start to look a little syrupy and reduced.   Turn off the heat and spoon a little of the jam onto the plate in the freezer.  Return to the freezer and let it sit for about 10 minutes.  Remove and do the wrinkle test - push your finger through the jam and if it wrinkles up, it's set!  

Bring the jam back to a low simmer and carefully ladle it into your sterilized jars.  A jam funnel helps immensely with this step.  Wipe the rims clean and screw on your lids.  Process them a large pot of boiling water for about 15 - 20 minutes.  Remove and within the next few hours you'll hear the telling pop of the lids - they are sealed!  Store in cool dark place for about a year.

Oh hi there again.

Hi friends and family and dearest, beloved fans.  I know you've missed me just as much as I've missed you.  And really I HAVE missed you all and this silly little blog and it's not that I haven't had things to SAY, it's just that, well, this whole internet thing takes quite a bit of time and I had plenty of other really fun things to do all summer long like swimming in rivers and going to weddings and eating my weight in the freshest salmon I've ever had. 

While waiting for my (much anticipated, surely) return, I do hope you've all been enjoying the bounty of summer's sun and have been cooking up your own storms.  Please stick with me as I slowly ease back into making this little slip of a blog a bigger part of my life, something that I attend to more than a few times a year.  To make it more manageable and fun (because that's the point, right?), I'm again breaking the rules and throwing format out the blogspot window and going rogue.  I'll write some stuff about some stuff when I feel like it.

So today I'm going to write a little about figs.  These gorgeous gems are like a very good dream.  The kind that sneaks up on you, but lingers throughout your day and leaves you with a subtle, healthy smile.  A simple fig, delicate and soft, has one of the prettiest of flavors.  It's all sorts of floral and perfume and breezy fruitiness.  They ripen quickly and must be eaten as soon as possible - do not waste a single one!  An easy task, as they are incredibly versatile.

Think savory or sweet.  Broiled, pickled, raw, grilled.  In salads or spreads, jams or breads. 

Last night I managed to convince my skeptical brother of their worth by using fresh figs as a topping on pizza.  Of course, I wasn't anticipating writing this post so I failed to document said pizza, but believe me it was quite pretty.  And simple:

CARAMELIZED ONION, FIG, AND GOAT CHEESE PIZZA

2 red onions
olive oil
splash of balsamic vinegar
a good handful of fresh, ripe figs, cut into quarters
fresh goat cheese
3 tbsp (more or less depending on your taste) fresh thyme
pizza dough
salt and pepper

Preheat your oven as high as it will go.  If you have a pizza stone, be sure to put it in the oven while preheating - you want it as hot as possible.

Slice the red onion into thin rounds.  Caramelize them in oil and balsamic vinegar until quite browned and very soft.  

Roll out your pizza dough onto parchment paper.  Top with onions and dot with figs.  Slide pizza onto your stone and bake for about 10 minutes, or until crust is cooked and starting to brown.  Remove from oven and spoon goat cheese over pizza.  Top with fresh thyme and a good sprinkling of salt and black pepper.  

Slice.  Enjoy. 

You know what else would be good?  Maybe adding some prosciutto or arugula.  Rosemary?  Variations are really quite endless when it comes to pizza, and I highly encourage you all to get a move on with your experimenting.  Fig season is very short and it would be a shame to miss it.  

I'll keep you all updated with spoonfuls of my life, and promise a few more photos in the future.