FRESH FIG AND RASPBERRY TART

Fresh figs came into season about a month ago.  I was sooo excited to see the delightful, fruits at the market.  I had determined to make both a savory dish and a dessert using fresh figs. 

My first  endeavor in Fig Land yielded the most delicious pizza.

For the dessert I am in need of inspiration, so I go to the queen of everything domestic…Martha Stewart!  I just love Martha!  There are times when I aspire to be like Martha; but if you saw the state of my house, you would know that aspiration has not been achieved ( I hang my head in shame…not really).  On Martha’s website, I enter “fresh figs desserts”.  Aaaaaah, the angels sing.  Beautiful, fresh fig desserts.  Does she do anything that isn’t beautiful?

I am taken in by Martha’s Fig and Raspberry Croustades, as well as her Fresh Fig and Almond Crostata.  I am thinking of marrying the two recipes, a match made in heaven!  I am not actually using Martha’s recipes, but it's totally her idea.  I am thankful to her stimulating my appetite, and my brain to come up with this dessert!

Pre heat the oven to 350.

 

 

You only need one sheet of pastry for this recipe.

 

 

 

 

Roll the puff pastry out to about a 9 x 12 inch rectangle; put it on a sheet pan.  

Dock the pastry with a fork, leave a 1 inch border. 

Put the pastry into the refrigerator while the remaining ingredients are prepared.

 

 

 

Prepare the Frangipani (Almond paste).

Start with pulsing the almonds, and half of the sugar in a food processor.  I used my mini processor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

See, it looks like sand.

 

 

 

Add the flour and pulse just to mix the flour in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a medium bowl, beat together the softened butter and the other half of the sugar.

 

 

 

Whisk in the whole egg and the egg yolk. 

Then mix in the almond and vanilla extracts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally stir in the ground almond mixture.

 

 

 

 

That’s Frangipani; it can be used in all kinds of pastries! 

If you’re doing a tart in a tart pan, you will need to increase the recipe.

 

 

 

 

Slice the figs in half lengthwise.

 

 

 

 

 

Remove the pastry from the refrigerator.  Spread the Frangipani over the pastry, leave that 1 inch border.

 

 

 

 

 

Distribute the figs, cut side up, over the tart.

Fill in with the raspberries.

 

 

 

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. 

Look how the fruit nestles into the frangipani!

Allow the tart to cool at least 30 minutes.

 

 

 

 

Warm the jam or jelly 10 seconds in the microwave; or place the small bowl of jam into a larger bowl of hot water and stir.

 

 

 

 

Brush the jam over the filling and the fruit, but avoid the pastry crust.

 

 

 

 

 

Pretty!

 

 

 

 

Serves 6 to 8

1              sheet    Frozen puff pastry, that has been thawed in the refrigerator

1              Recipe  Frangipani, recipe follows

10                           Fresh figs cut in half lengthwise

3              oz           Fresh raspberries

2              Tbsp      Seedless raspberry jam or apricot jelly

1.        Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.

2.       Roll the puff pastry out to about 9 x 12 inches, and place on an ungreased sheet pan.

3.       Dock the puff pastry with a fork, leave about a 1 inch border around the perimeter of the pastry.  Put into the refrigerator while you prepare the rest of the ingredients, remove the pastry from the refrigerator only when all the ingredients are ready to be assembled.

4.       Spread the frangipani evenly over the bottom of the tart; leave that same 1 inch border.

5.       Distribute the figs evenly; cut side up, over the frangipani.

6.       Sprinkle the raspberries evenly over the tart, in between the figs.  The fruit appears to sit on the tart; but the frangipani and the pastry will puff up in the baking process, and the fruit will be nestled into the filling.

7.       Place into a 350 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes; turn the pan halfway through the cooking.

8.       Allow the tart to cool.

9.       Heat the jam or jelly either in the microwave for 10 seconds, or sit the small bowl of jam into a larger bowl of hot water and stir.

10.   Brush the melty jam or jelly over the filling and fruit, not over the pastry border.

FRANGIPANI

2/3         cup         Slivered, blanched almonds

1/3         cup         Sugar

3              Tbsp      Flour

¼             cup         Softened butter

1                              Whole egg

1                              Egg yolk

¼             tsp          Almond extract

1              tsp          Vanilla extract 

1.        In a food processor (mini food processor can be used) pulse the almonds and half of the sugar, until it resembles sand.

2.       Add the flour to the food processor and pulse to mix.

3.       In a medium bowl whisk together the softened butter and the other half of the sugar, until it is light and fluffy.

4.       Whisk in the whole egg and the egg yolk.

5.       Stir in the almond extract and the vanilla extract.

6.       Mix in the ground almond mixture.

7.       That’s it.  You’ve made frangipani!  It’s great to use in all kinds of pastry recipes.

FRESH FIG & PROSCIUTTO PIZZA TOPPED WITH ARUGULA

 Oh the glorious fig.  No, not the dried fig that you’ve had the cookie made famous by Newton (which is delicious).  But the fresh fig that is both sexy and sophisticated. 

Sexy because, the fresh fig seduces us with its honey like sweetness, supple skin, J.Lo like curvy bottom.  If you think about it, the fig is everything a girl wants have (especially if your bottom resembles a pancake; like mine does.), and everything a man wants a girl to have. Women have been using the fig to lure their men since ancient Egypt.  It’s no wonder Mark Anthony loved Cleopatra so; he didn’t stand a chance against the fig.

Sophisticated because, I personally feel so grown up to be eating figs that aren’t just in a cookie.  The only place I’ve seen fresh figs on a menu is at a fancy restaurant...never seen it at Friday’s…just sayin’.  Doesn’t it sound sophisticated to order the “Fresh figs with Lavender Honey ice cream?”

Now the practical part:  Figs are high in fiber, potassium, vitamin B6, manganese, and are a fruit source of calcium. Who knew?

Figs are highly perishable, which is why so many of us have not experienced fresh figs.  Buy figs only 1 or 2 days before you will use them, and store them in the refrigerator.

Look for figs that are plump and tender, but not mushy, with a slightly sweet fragrance.

On to the Fresh Fig and Prosciutto Pizza Topped with Arugula. 

I start with caramelizing the onions, they take about 40 minutes. 

 

In a large skillet over medium high sweat the onion in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a little salt.  Be sure to stir, you don’t want to brown the onions.

 

When the onions are translucent (about 10 minutes) add the garlic, fresh thyme, and sugar.  Turn the heat down to medium, and stir often.

Pre heat the oven to 450 degrees, if you’re using a pizza stone put it in the oven now.

If you’re using a pizza pan or a sheet pan, then grease the pan with olive oil and dust with cornmeal.  This will give you a crisp crust. 

 

Give the olives a rough chop. 

 

I wanted to use Taleggio cheese, but there was none at the market, so the cheese monger recommended Morbier…it was really yummy!  If you love, love blue cheese, you could use that instead, I love all cheeses.  Cut the cheese into about 1 inch cubes.

 

Told you figs are sexy!

I sliced the figs in thirds, but next time I will quarter them length wise, it’s prettier.

 

Here’s my store bought dough.
Cut into four, for individual pizzas if desired.

 

Dust the peel (or the back of a sheet pan) with cornmeal.  Use more than this, because my first pizza was difficult to get off the peel and onto the stone, the next one came off easily because I was more generous with the cornmeal.

Drizzle with olive oil, and spread the oil around.

 

First put the caramelized onions.

 

Then tear the prosciutto and place that over the onions.  If you like crispy prosciutto, don’t put it on the bottom.

I forgot the olives, put them on here please.

 

Now for the sophisticated/sexy part.  Da da da daaaa…the figs.

 

The love of my life, the cheese.

 

Oooh!  Aaah!

 

Rest the pizza for just a minute while you toss the arugula with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.  Top the pizza with the arugula.

Excuse me while I get all foodie on you; the sweet onions and figs are perfectly complimented by the saltiness of the prosciutto and olives, the pungency of the cheese and the peppery arugula.  Get all the ingredients in one bite, for that perfect bite!

Makes 4 personal pizzas, or 1 large pizza.

1                                Pizza dough (my grocery store sells pizza dough in 1 lb portions, or make your own)

Extra virgin olive oil

2                                Onions, caramelized (see the recipe below)

4                    Slices of prosciutto, (optional)

1/3 cup       Pitted Kalamata olives, roughly chopped

8                                Fresh figs, quartered

8    oz         Morbier, Taleggio, or blue cheese, cut or crumbled into about 3/4 inch pieces

                  Corn meal

4    cups     Arugula

1    Tbsp    White, or Red balsamic vinegar

                  Salt and pepper

1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees.  If you have a pizza stone, put it in the oven now, before the oven gets hot. 
2. *If you are using a pizza pan or a sheet pan, grease the pan with olive oil, and sprinkle corn meal over the bottom.  Doing this will ensure a crispy crust.
3. Stretch the dough out to your desired shape and size.  Because the dough will contract, I stretch mine as thin as possible.  If making personal pizzas, cut the dough into 4. 
4. *If using a pizza pan put the dough into the pan.  If using the pizza stone, then dust your peel or the back of a sheet pan generously with cornmeal.  Place the pizza dough on the peel or sheet pan and you’re ready to assemble pizzas.  (If making individual pizzas you will have to do this one at a time.)
5. Drizzle olive oil over the dough, and spread it to cover all the dough.  Then distribute the caramelized onions over the bottom of the pie.  Tear the prosciutto and place it over the onions (if you like crispy prosciutto then put it on last instead), now sprinkle the olives, place the figs and the cheese.
6. Bake for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of your pizza.  (My pizza stone will only hold 2 individual pizzas at one time, so keep that in mind when deciding what size pizza to make.)
7. The pizza should rest just a couple of minutes.  While it’s resting toss the arugula with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of white, or red balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.
8. Top the pizza with the dressed arugula.

Serve with Italian style chicken wings.

CARAMELIZED ONIONS

1    Tbsp    Olive oil

2                Medium onions, sliced

¼   tsp        Salt

2    cloves   Garlic, minced

2    tsp        Fresh thyme leaves

½   tsp        Sugar

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sweat the onions in the olive oil, add the salt.  Stir often as not to brown the onions.  Cook until translucent, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, thyme, and sugar.  Turn the heat to medium.  Stir often and cook about another 20 to 30 minutes to caramelized.  You may need to turn the heat to medium-low.  The onions are done when they are a nice caramel color. 

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