Chit Chat

Good morning!

Figs are the topic for this morning.  We have finally been picking a few and more than just a few from the Brown Turkey.  I have been eating them fresh, but if they are not perfect enought to tempt me I can do this with them.

Fig-Ginger Preserve

1 cup cut up figs
1-inch piece of fresh ginger
sugar

Place figs, ginger and sugar in saucepan, and heat slowly until enough juice comes out that they begin to boil up a bit..stir constantly at this point.
When you get a nice batch of fruit and juice in the pan, and things are simmering, you turn down the heat low and keep a close watch.  When everything is thick and syrupy as much as you like, it is done.
Set aside the piece of ginger to chew on if things get dull.  Pour the hot preserve into a clean jar. Cap when it cools a bit and put into the refrigerator. It will stay nicely in the refrigerator for quite a while.  I think I may do THIS with mine:

Fig Ice Cream

Slightly whip 2 c. heavy cream.
Beat in some milk but not more than a cup.
Beat in an egg yolk (no, you won't die).
Beat in a tiny pinch of salt and I mean a shake of salt.
Add a tiny bit of vanilla.
Add the fig preserves you just made. If you need more sweetness, add some maple syrup of the real variety. Or agave syrup. Or honey.
Pour into an aluminum loaf pan and place into the freezer.  At regular 1/2 hour intervals, check it and beat it up. My mother used a fork, but she had more determination than I do. An immersion blender might be good but it will disintegrate the figs which you might not want.
After a couple of hours, if you have not eaten it all up in the tastings, you will have a pan of fig ice cream. It will be a gorgeous pale pink with bits of black skin in it. And it will taste good. Be sure it is sweet enough, for if it is not it will taste insipid, I daresay.  If it is not sweet enough, you could run out into the yard, praying for another dozen figs, and repeat the fig preserve recipe.  Use as a syrup to pour over the ice cream when served. Yum. I like it. YAZZYBEL