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Monday, October 3, 2011

Gettin' Figgy Wit It


My best friend Kate is married to a chef and it is such a treat to visit them and have a meal prepared for us. The best part is that, although they both eat meat, Brandon is very open-minded in the kitchen. When I visited them and their new baby last month, Brandon even said that he is excited to cook vegan for me because it's a fun challenge. What a fantastic attitude!

For lunch that day, Brandon put together a spring mix salad with carrots & jicama with fresh oregano balsamic vinaigrette dressing, and sauteed brown sugared-butternut squash with fresh fig sauce. This was my first time eating figs, so I was very excited to try this.

This was fantastic! I loved the cooling salad paired with the warm butternut squash and fig sauce. Salads are great and all, but the squash and fig sauce totally stole the spotlight.

Brandon even gave me the recipe to share with you folks!
Fresh Fig Sauce

1 C Vegetable Broth
2 C Water
1/4 t Salt
12 Fresh Figs, Stemmed and Chopped (I used Mission Figs)
3 T Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 t Fresh Ground Pepper

1. Add Broth, Water, Salt and Figs. Reduce heat to low, cover, and
simmer about 20 minutes.
2. Stir in the Vinegar and Pepper. Increase heat to med-high and cook,
stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly, 5-7
minutes.
3. Mash or Blend to desired consistency or serve as is. (I used a Potato Masher)

This recipe is from the Mayo Clinic Williams-Sonoma Cookbook

A week later, after checking out the cool modern art exhibit at the Tampa Museum of Art, I found myself eating more figs, at the museum's SONO Cafe.

This time it was in the form of their Mixed Melon Salad.

Zesty arugula atop chunks of melon and marinated figs, dressed in a black pepper vinaigrette. A very light but flavorful little salad. I was pleased to see a couple of vegan options on SONO's menu, including a couple of sorbets offered alongside their gelato.

What's your favorite fig dish?

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