Rosie Gets Jiggy With The Figgy.

I have lots of figs starting to come in now, so you'll be getting some figtastic creations in the near future.  Consider this Figometrics 101.

We have about 1 one-month window of opportunity for those glorious figs and we do take advantage of it.  I pick figs every day, sometimes several times a day.  I come back inside sweaty and itchy and drippy and sometimes stung. I come up with a different fig concoction every day. And I have to give figs away.  The birds make quite a feast of them too.  It's a fleeting season for the fig so we must strike while the iron's hot.  Make hay while the sun shines.  Take time by the forelock.  Occasionem cognosce.  Nunc aut nunquam. You see what I mean...

Today's offering is a little appetizer I put together for Mr. Hawthorne and me

Please enjoy.

First, let's pick some figs.

I have two fig trees.  I believe this is a Calimyrna.

And I believe these are Brown Turkey.

 Now, on to my appetizer/meal.
 















Oh my, but this was good!

Note:  This requires crème fraiche, so you need to start on that the night before. If you've never made your own crème fraîche, it's high time you did.

Crème Fraîche is kind of like sour cream,only much better. It's sour cream on steroids.  It's thicker and richer than sour cream,contains a higher fat content,and is not as tangy as sour cream.  Traditionally, crème fraîche was made in France from unpasteurized cream which contained natural bacteria to thicken it. Since our cream is pasteurized,we need to add fermenting agents containing necessary bacteria to give the cream that certain little something.

Crème Fraiche

I usually use one cup cream to 1 TB buttermilk, but this time I wanted to try something a little more intense.

1/2 cup cream

1 TB buttermilk

1 tsp lime juice

Mix, cover with paper towel, and leave at room temperature overnight.

The next morning, cover and refrigerate.

Sautéed Figs and Peaches
1/2 tsp whole peppercorns

1 TB unsalted butter

1 peach, peeled, pitted, and sliced

1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves

1 TB unsalted butter

a bunch of little figs, halved

1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves

3 TB balsamic vinegar

crème fraîche

Toast the peppercorns in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until fragrant.

Let cool, then transfer to plastic bag and crush with rolling pin. Set aside.

Add 1 TB butter and 1/2 tsp thyme leaves to small pan over medium heat.

Sauté sliced peaches for about 2 minutes each side or until lightly browned.

Remove from pan. Add remaining butter and thyme leaves. Add figs and cook for 2 minutes or until browned.

Arrange peach slices and figs on serving dish.

Add balsamic vinegar to pan and cook over low heat until reduced to 1 tablespoon.

Spoon crème fraîche over top of peaches and figs. Drizzle reduced balsamic vinegar over top

and sprinkle with toasted, crushed peppercorns.

 This was delightful!