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September, 2008
Here is a delicious dilemma: What do you do
with a box full of freshly picked figs?
I was lucky enough to face this ‘problem’
recently when my neighbor dropped by with the gift—part of a
bumper crop of figs from her father’s tree. Inside the cardboard
box were nestled some six dozen mission figs, each one perfectly
ripe, perfectly plump, and practically begging to be eaten.
The first thing I did, of course, was to pop
one, or two or three, in my mouth. They were juicy and
honey-sweet, just as their appearance promised. Then I
(grudgingly) parceled a few out to my mother and my sister, who
happened to be visiting.
For the most part I ate the figs plain, one
after another, like candy—that’s how good they were. Some I cut
into quarters and scattered over Greek yogurt, which I then
drizzled with a touch of honey and enjoyed for breakfast. The
thought of turning such delicious figs into jam seemed a waste
somehow. But then I got the idea to use a few of them, just a few,
in a simple cake. Because figs pair so well with yogurt I decided
to make a yogurt cake, flavored with vanilla and a little lemon
zest. I spread the rather thick batter in a cake pan and arranged
fig halves on top. As the cake baked, the figs sank down slightly
into the batter and caramelized as they cooked. Once the cake
cooled, I sprinkled it with vanilla-scented powdered sugar.
Figs are just one of the many transitional
treats of late summer-early fall. Right now, the stalls at my
farmers’ market are spilling over with gleaming eggplants long and
squat, zucchini and other summer squashes (plus some early fall
varieties), brilliant peppers, and end-of-season tomatoes.
One of my favorite things to do with the
slightly overripe tomatoes that perpetually line my kitchen
windowsill at this time of year is to make a snack that my mother
and Italian aunts used to make for my sister and me in summer when
we were kids. It is so simple, and out of this world: Cut a couple
of thick slices of good Italian country bread, fresh or
one-day-old. Smash a small clove of garlic with a knife and rub it
lightly over the bread slices. Cut in half a slightly overripe,
red tomato, and rub the halves over the bread slices, making sure
that you squeeze out as much juice and pieces of tomato flesh onto
the bread as possible. Drizzle the slices with olive oil and
sprinkle with coarse salt. Mangia!
Some other treats that have emerged from my
kitchen in recent weeks include:
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Pickled eggplant strips in olive oil,
something my mom used to make often when I was growing up. They
are still curing in their bath of oil, garlic slivers, hot
pepper, and herbs, so I have yet to discover whether they
measure up to the ones I loved so much as a child.
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Bread and butter pickles. Admittedly, not an
Italian specialty, but something that I have been making for
years and that my family adores. My son especially loves them
piled on hot dogs. My recipe involves slicing the cucumbers and
onions paper-thin, and so this is the one time of year that I am
truly grateful for the mandoline that my husband gave me
as a gift a few years back.
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Pesto. Until this summer, I have always,
always made pesto in my food processor while my marble mortar
and pestle languished for years on my countertop, serving only a
decorative purpose. It wasn’t until recently, when the pestle
rolled off the counter onto the tile floor, breaking in half,
that I suddenly regretted not ever having used the set. I bought
a replacement pestle and immediately put it to work pounding
handfuls of basil leaves with salt, garlic, olive oil, and
blanched almonds (my daughter is severely allergic to pine nuts
so they are banned from our house). The pesto that emerged from
the mortar and pestle was much coarser in texture than the food
processor version, and, in my opinion, much more satisfying—both
to make and to eat.
Enjoy these last warm days and all that
September has to offer. Before you know it we will be covering up
the grill, pulling out the stock pot, and saying hello to autumn.
Buon Appetito,
Domenica
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