Honey Fig Gorgonzola & Prosciutto Crostata

 This week on my blog I’m very excited to share Emma Caperelli Loerky’s recipe for Honey Fig Gorgonzola & Prosciutto Crostata. I’m a big believer that any dish is better when you add some prosciutto. Throw in some figs and gorgonzola too? Fuggetaboudit!!!!! I’m also a huge junkie for Easter Ham Pie, and this dish could be the perfect mid-year counterpart. So when I got Emma’s e-mail with this recipe and photos, I knew this one would be a big hit…and my teasers on Facebook proved just that. Thanks again, Emma, for sharing yet another one of your amazing recipes!

Enjoy!

Honey Fig Gorgonzola & Prosciutto Crostata
By Emma Caperelli Loerky

A few months ago, when fresh figs were just popping up in the markets out here in San Diego, I bought some not knowing what exactly I was going to make with them. After doing some internet research, I came across this recipe:  http://www.whatsforlunchhoney.net/2010/09/honey-figs-gorgonzola-and-prosciutto.html. Next thing you know, I’m making a crostata. I followed the recipe almost exactly for the filling, but, because I was worried about converting the measurements from grams to cups, I used a recipe from Smitten Kitchen for the pastry shell – which was so flaky and buttery that it reminded me of a puff pastry. I don’t know if it was the fancy pastry flour that i subbed for the all-purpose flour, freezing the butter and flour for 30 minutes before assembling the dough, or the addition of sour cream to the recipe (maybe it was a combination of all three?), but this crust was perfect in every way! 

Fast forward to the present. I’m in the market shopping for ingredients to make lunch for a friend who is visiting me with her new, beautiful baby girl and once again there are those figs. So, guess what is on the menu? You guessed it. And the nice thing about this recipe is that it can be eaten right out of the oven, warm or at room temperature. And it reheats well, too. I even assembled it the morning of, loosely wrapped it with plastic wrap and placed the unbaked crostata in the fridge for about 2 hours until just before I was ready to bake it.

If you aren’t a fan of bleu cheese, I’m sure goat cheese would work well or even ricotta. However, if you do use ricotta cheese, I would be sure to strain it through a cheesecloth for at least and hour, as the extra moisture in it could make this delicate crust soggy.

One last thing, it’s difficult to say exactly how many figs you’ll need for this recipe. The original recipe says 5 – 6 figs depending on their size, but you can add as many or as little as you like. I’ve made this recipe twice, both times I used different figs and it turned out well each time. The first time I used Brown Turkey figs, which are large so I only needed about 6 figs. This time I used Black Mission figs, which are smaller than the Brown Turkey variety, so I needed a few more than the last time. 

For the pastry (Recipe for Smitten Kitchen): 

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, chilled in the freezer for 30 minutes
(I used King Arthur Flour’s Unbleached Pastry Flour with terrific results)
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chilled in the freezer for 30 minutes
1/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup ice water

Glaze:
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon water

For the filling (Recipe from What’s For Lunch, Honey?):
About 1 to 1 1/2 cups Gorgonzola (or to taste)
5 – 6 figs (or more depending on your taste and the type/size fig you use), cut into quarters or eighths (one again, depending on their size)
2-3 tablespoons mild honey (I found 2 tablespoons to be plenty)
A few sprigs of fresh thyme, removed from the stem.
About 4 ounces Prosciutto (I didn’t want the Prosciutto to be too overwhelming, so I used about 2 slices, and I used scissors to cut it into slivers).

Directions:
Whisk together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Sprinkle bits of butter over dough. Using a pastry blender, cut it in until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with the biggest pieces of butter the size of tiny peas. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, lemon juice and water and add this to the butter-flour mixture. With your fingertips or a wooden spoon, mix in the liquid until large lumps form. Pat the lumps into a ball; do not overwork the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour, or you can refrigerate the dough overnight (as I did). If you do make the dough ahead of time, be sure to allow the dough to sit out at room temperature for a few minutes before you roll it out.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a well-floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 12-inch round. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet (or, as Smitten Kitchen recommends, use parchment paper. It makes it much easier to move the crostata from the baking sheet onto a plate after baking). Sprinkle the Gorgonzola evenly onto the bottom of the dough, leaving a 2 inch border. Place the figs on top of the cheese. Drizzle with the honey and sprinkle with the fresh thyme leaves. Fold the edges over the filling and pleat it as you go along to allow the dough to fit, and creating a crust for the crostata. Brush the crust with the egg yolk mixture.

Bake the crostata until it is golden brown, about 25 – 30 minutes. Please note:  The original recipe for the pastry says 30 – 40 minutes, but in my oven it was done after approximately 30 minutes. I recommend you watch the dough carefully after the first 20 minutes. When finished baking, sprinkle the crostata with the Prosciutto, and let it sit for 5 minutes before transferring to a plate. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Gluten-Free Lemon Meringue Pie

This week, I’m very happy  to welcome back my good friend, Emma, who shares with us a delicious gluten-free version of  the classic Lemon Meringue Pie. So can’t wait to dig into this one!
Enjoy,
Dom

LEMON MERINGUE PIE
By Emma Caperelli Loerky

Since Labor Day weekend is almost here, I thought it would be a good time to share one of my family’s favorite gluten-free recipes – Lemon Meringue Pie. Whether you are making burgers, ribs, chicken, or even fish on the grill, the cool tartness of the lemon custard combined with the sweet, fluffy meringue and buttery crust makes this pie the perfect ending to your meal, especially on a late summer day.

This is something that I make throughout the year, not only because my family loves it so much, but also because lemons are always in season. I’m not sure how I’ve made this recipe so many times yet have managed to neglect using Meyer lemons (because how awesome would that be?!). However, I never think twice about making it with just plain old lemons simply because it is always delicious, and neither should you.

Gluten-Free Pie Crust
Adapted from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour
1 tbs sugar
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbs cold butter
1 large egg
2 tsp lemon juice or vinegar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, xanthan gum, and salt.

Cut the cold butter into pats, then work the pats into the flour mixture until it’s crumbly, with some larger, pea-sized chunks of butter remaining.

Whisk the egg and vinegar or lemon juice together until very foamy. Mix into the dry ingredients. Stir until the mixture holds together, adding 1 to 3 additional tablespoons of cold water if necessary.

Shape into a ball and chill for an hour, or up to overnight.

Allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before rolling.

Roll the dough out between two pieces of plastic wrap and invert into a pie pan.

Wrap loosely with plastic wrap and place the unbaked pie crust in the refrigerator for at least an hour before baking.

Cut a piece of parchment paper big enough to fit on the bottom of the pie crust. Allow the parchment to extend a little past the sides of the crust (for easy removal). Place pie weights (or uncooked dry beans) on top of the parchment paper, and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the parchment and the weights, and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until the crust is a light golden brown. Remove crust from oven and let cool completely.

Lemon Custard
From the magazine, Delight Gluten-Free

Ingredients:
Zest of 4 lemons
3/4 cup lemon juice, strained
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
8 egg yolks

Directions:
Combine lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and butter in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.

Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl until liquid.

Strain the lemon juice/sugar mixture to eliminate the zest, and beat one-quarter of the boiling liquid into the egg yolks.

Over low heat, return the remaining lemon juice liquid to a boil.

Whisk the egg yolk mixture into the boiling liquid and continue whisking until it thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. It may come to a slight simmer, but do not allow the custard to boil.

Pour the lemon into a bowl, press plastic wrap against the surface to prevent a skin from forming and chill for about an hour, or until completely cool.

Pour the chilled lemon custard into the crust.

Meringue
From the magazine, Delight Gluten-Free

Ingredients:
3/4 cup egg whites
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups sugar

Directions:
Combine egg whites, salt, and sugar in a medium sized bowl and place over simmering water.

Heat, beating with a whisk, until egg whites are hot (it should feel like hot tap water on your finger) and all of the sugar is dissolved.

Remove from heat to a mixer. Whisk on medium speed until cold and stiff.

Pipe meringue on top of lemon custard. Use a pastry torch to caramelize or put under the broiler for 2-3 minutes until lightly golden brown. Note: I do not have a pastry torch so I just used my oven which works fine. Just be sure to keep a close eye on the pie, as it will burn easily. Two minutes was just enough time in my oven.

Grilled Bananas and Peaches with Caramel Sauce

Grilling fruit is a fun and delicious way to prepare dessert in the summertime. It’s also a nice way to impress your guests without much effort! Bananas and peaches are my usual go-to grilling fruits, and my friend Jay also does grilled pineapple. Preparation is simple and grilling time only takes a few minutes.

First thing you want to do is clean your grill of all charred food remnants, so that you’re cooking on a clean surface. I suggest using a gas grill instead of a charcoal grill. I’ve had fruit grilled on both, and the charcoal grills tend to leave a smokey taste to the fruit.

Preparing the fruit is very simple. First you want to slice the fruit.
• For the bananas, you’ll want to slice the banana in half, length-wise. You can then cut the two pieces in half, to get 4 equal parts. Do not remove the banana from the peel.
• For peaches, slice in half and remove pit.
• For pineapple, remove the skin, then cut down to 1″ thick slices (you can serve the slices as whole or half).

Next, you’ll want to season the fruit. I like to sprinkle some brown sugar and cinnamon on the cut side of the fruit. You can also brush with melted butter or honey to sweeten it up a bit, but I prefer the brown sugar and cinnamon on their own. You’ll want to do this about 5 minutes before grilling, so that the seasoning settles into the fruit.

Now you’re ready for grilling. Preheat the grill and be sure to use some non-stick spray on the grates. Place the fruit cut-side down for about 4 minutes, until the fruit starts to get slightly charred. If doing pineapple, you can cook each side for 4 minutes. Remove the fruit, plate it grilled side up, serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Magic!

If you REALLY want to wow and impress your guests, add a drizzle of home made caramel sauce to this already elegant dish. Yes, I said HOME-MADE CARAMEL SAUCE. Sounds intricate and impressive, but home made caramel sauce is incredibly easy to make. It also makes for a good parlor trick when you’re hosting. “Hey, you know what would go really good with this? Home made caramel sauce! Give me a few minutes, and I’ll be right back…” I’m telling you, your guests will be talking about this for years to come. The ingredients are very simple: sugar, heavy whipping cream and butter. And the best way to remember the measurements is by the 1:1:1 ratio. In other words, you’re using equal parts sugar, heavy whipping cream and butter, depending on how much you need to make.

Heat up the sugar in a pot over medium heat, until it dissolves, stirring occasionally (you can add a tablespoon of water to it to help it along). Be very careful while doing this. Hot sugar will not only burn you, it will also stick to your skin. Once it dissolves, it turns into a beautiful amber-colored syrup. Remove from the heat, carefully add the cream and whisk. The cream will start to boil at contact. Whisk until combined, add butter and continue to whisk. Once combined, let cool for a few minutes, the serve. The caramel will keep for about a month when covered tight and placed in the refrigerator.

DON’T FORGET TO ADD A LITTLE CAPTAIN TO YOUR CARAMEL!
Cooking with spirits is always a fun and easy way to add flavor and a little kick to your dish. Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum is the perfect compliment to home made caramel sauce. For the adult crowd, whisk in a splash or two (to your liking) just as the caramel starts to cool. If you’re looking to cut back on the alcohol kick, heat up the spiced rum in a pan to cook off the alcohol. Not only will the addition of the spiced rum accentuate the taste of the grilled fruit, it also makes for the perfect topping for ice cream, pound cake, cheese cake, cinnamon buns, bread pudding…you name it!

Green Tomatoes: The Fall and Rise of a Damaged Vine

They say when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. But what do you do when life gives you a hurricane that rips almost all of your premature green tomatoes off of its vine? Last week’s massive storm that rolled through our area did just this. To say that I was heartbroken is an understatement. Thankfully our next door neighbor, along with being incredibly kind and patient with our kids, has the greenest thumb around! Almost immediately after telling her about my tomato tragedy, she had searched out this great website that offer suggestions for green tomatoes (click here for the site). Thank you, Fran, for taking the time to help out with suggestions!

I read through a few websites and found quite a few intriguing ideas. Of course, fried green tomatoes were on the top of every list that I read. But I was on a mission to try something a bit more unique and challenging. Listed below are the three ideas that I went with, in order that I made them. Two were inspired from recipes that I found on other websites, and the third was improvised. Thankfully I was able to put to use almost all of the prematurely picked tomatoes. The remaining greens are gonna get fried!

GREEN TOMATO SPICE CAKE
Courtesy of allrecipes.com
This recipe incorporates puréed green tomatoes into a standard spice cake recipe. Similar to a zucchini bread, the green tomatoes are added more for texture and nutrients, rather than taste. It’s a bit more moist that a traditional zucchini bread, and you do notice the occasional tomato seed, but the spice really shines through on this. Serve as is, dust with powdered sugar, or top with a cream cheese icing.

Ingredients
4 cups chopped green tomatoes
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup butter
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions
Place chopped tomatoes in a bowl and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt. Let stand 10 minutes.
Place in a colander, rinse with cold water and drain. Purée in a food processor.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking pan.
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat until creamy.
Sift together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add raisins and nuts to dry mixture; Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Dough will be very stiff. Mix well.
Add puréed tomatoes and mix well. Pour into the prepared 9 x 13 inch pan.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.

GREEN TOMATO FAJITAS
This recipe was totally improvised. I started off by sautéing some garlic and onions in olive oil until onion was translucent. I added a chopped green pepper, stirred it until tender, then added the tomatoes, again cooking on medium until tender. I then added some chopped chicken, salt and pepper and some dried barbecue spice. Served it on warm tortilla shells with shredded cheddar cheese. The end results were fantastic! The onions, garlic and peppers help liven up the bland taste of the green tomatoes, and the oil and salt helped soften them up to a nice tender texture. Gonna get this in my summer rotation often!

GARLIC PICKLED GREEN TOMATOES
Here’s an old world recipe that’ll put a large amount of the tomatoes to good use. Very good use! The jars that I made are still settling – you’ll need about two weeks to let them fully marinate. Look for a follow up post when I crack open my first jar. Let’s hope for tangy-liscious results!

Ingredients
5 pounds small, firm green tomatoes
3 1/2 cups cider vinegar
3 1/2 cups water
One fourth cup canning salt
6 or 7 garlic cloves
Pickling spices (a combination of spices, such as mustard seeds, peppercorns, dill, coriander seeds, cloves, and red pepper flakes)
6 or 7 bay leaves

Directions
Wash and core tomatoes, cut into halves or quarters. Combine vinegar, water and salt; bring to a boil. Pack tomatoes into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Add 1 garlic clove, 1 heaping teaspoon of Pickling spices, and 1 bay leaf to each jar. Pour hot liquid over tomatoes, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Adjust caps. Process 15 minutes in boiling water bath. Yield: about 6 or 7 pints.