Poached Figs Stuffed with Walnuts and Clotted Cream

Now is the time for walnuts - what a sight!

  I confess I have been having a perfect figgy fest but here we are with my third and final fig recipe: today I am going to explain an authenticTurkish fig dessert, İncir Tatlısı, which is a complete classic at this time of the year. It is sweet and sticky and really fingerlickin' good. Not only does it look great, especially if you are careful with presentation ie wipe off any excess syrup with a piece of kitchen paper, but it's quick and easy- all you need is some dried figs and some walnuts and you are more than halfway there. I looked at several recipes and in the end preferred this one from Secrets of the Turkish Kitchen http://www.turkishkitchen.org/. The actual book is now out of print, more's the pity, as it is a little gem.

 Ingredients

Serves 6

Preparation Time - 15 minutes

Cooking Time - 10 minutes

500g/ 1 lb Turkish dried figs

2 tbsps sugar

juice of 1/2 lemon

50g / 2oz shelled walnuts

kaymak/clotted cream

soaking

Method

• Place figs in hot water to soak for 1hr and then gently simmer in the  same water until soft. Don't overdo it: they shouldn't be mushy. 
• Drain and pass the cooking liquid through a sieve into another pan. Add the sugar and lemon juice to the cooking liquid.
• Continue cooking gently to create a concentrated fig syrup.
• 
  
  Set aside to cool.

simmering

slitting

• When cool enough to handle, gently split open the figs with a sharp knife.
• Gently spoon in some kaymak and pop in a walnut.      
• Serve drizzled with the fig syrup.

Arranging the stuffed figs on the serving dish

       

 Tips

• Now I realise that kaymak  (pron: ky-muk) may be a mystery ingredient to many of you: you will faint when I tell you what it is! Buffalo cream! Yes! Really! It is sold in rulo/ rolls in small plastic containers from pudding shops or delicatessens, well-stocked supermarkets but not with the regular cream and milk. 
• 
  
  A word about dairy products while I am at it:  don't waste your time looking for creme fraiche, double or whipping cream, sour milk, or buttermilk as they don't exist here per se. But I substitute with either yogurt and/or the basic cream which comes in a little packet from the supermarket.This latter cream can whip up quite nicely on a good day. Sometimes when it is misbehaving, I add some of the powdered  krem şanti/creme chantilly, perhaps adding some milk too, depending on how thick it is, and the blend produces a delightful cream of the right consistency with a slightly sweet taste.
• When I was doing this recipe, I realised that the syrup wasn't going to be as syrupy as I would like. Of course the answer lies in adding more sugar to the cooking liquid in step 2 above. I used 3 tbsp and probably next time, it will be 4!
  

Beef Casserole with Figs

I have the feeling that the recipe that I am about to describe is destined to become my dinner party favourite this autumn. So perhaps I am mad to share - but I am so excited about it that it would be a crime to keep it all to myself! It is figgy again but this time in a savoury form, something that I said was not usually found in Turkish cuisine yet it comes from a super new cookbook called Cooking New Istanbul Style by Refika Birgül (http://www.refikaninmutfagi.com/). She describes it as her version of Boeuf Bourguignon meets Algerian tagine with overtones of juicy meat cooked in South East Turkey. Ambitious, eh?  But oh,so do-able. Serves 6.

Here are the very figs I bought from
this luscious display at the Spice Bazaar 

We went to the Spice Bazaar in Eminönü to get the figs although you can get them anywhere.But the Bazaar is so atmospheric,especially with the pre-Bayram buzz. I love going there and then crossing the Galata Bridge for a cheap fish lunch beside the Golden Horn. 

Now back to the meat: I highly recommend using your local kasap or butcher as opposed to the supermarket. Ideally get a friend to introduce you to hers.You will get the best service if you build up a relationship with your friendly butcher. Always go to the same one and he will reward you with the choicest cuts.You can also phone in your order and if he is obliging - and they usually are - he will deliver!

 Ingredients for Beef Casserole with Figs

Preparing the meat and onions

I kg fillet steak in a piece  - bonfile (pron: bon-fi-leh). Although you can buy beef already cubed, Refika recommends that you cut this yourself into largish chunks.

3 onions, finely sliced in rounds

5 cloves garlic

1 large red pepper, cut into strips (about 1cm thick)

I green bell pepper: cut the same way

Getting everything shipshape

2 carrots, chopped into small cubes

2 tbsp flour
10 bay leaves

5 sprigs thyme

1 tbsp red pepper paste /biber salçası ( pron: bee-bair sal-cha is enough ), readily available here

15 dried figs

1 tsp salt

 one handful black peppercorns- you may prefer to give a few good twists of the pepper mill instead

7 tbsp olive oil

3/4 cup chicken stock made from stock cube
1/2 cup red wine

Method

1. Saute the beef in the oil in batches. Remove from pan.

2. Continue with onions and remove.

3. Now saute the peppers and carrots for 1 min.
4. Add whole garlic cloves. Saute for a further minute.

5. Return meat and onions to pan. Reduce heat to very low. Sprinkle the flour over meat and stir for 2 mins.

6. Add hot chicken stock and the wine.

7. Add pepper, salt, thyme, bay leaves, and pepper paste. Stir it all together gently.

Adding the paste to the pot-
I actually used tomato

8. Finally, add the halved dried figs.

Cover the pan and cook on very low heat. After 1 hour, stir and continue cooking for a further 1 1/2 hours. The smell is divine!

As Refika says: 'Taste, enjoy, and devour!'

Everything's in and ready to cook!

Tip

Next time I think I will use a güveç or Turkish earthenware cooking pot, and cook it nice and slowly in the oven.Or simply my le Creuset in the oven. I think it would be even more succulent.

Upside-down Figgy Cake

Sürreya's rooftop with Lesbos behind

Those wonderful figs

On my last day in the village,the island of Lesbos looked tantalizingly close, the killer humidity that has characterized this summer dissipated, and the sea a sparkling blue. On Surreya’s roof opposite I could see their figs drying in the hot sun in anticipation of those colder days when a sweet bite doesn’t come amiss. The trees are all laden with them. I have decided that figs are the Jimmy Choos of fruit: luscious and desirable. We have a fig tree in our own garden: it arrived without permission and grew and grew. The trouble was, its figs were not my Jimmy Choos. So ingeniously, Mehmet and my husband arranged to have a superior variety grafted on. The surprise gift was that two different types of fig were inadvertently grafted so this year our tree has cleverly presented us with both : creamy light green ones as well as little sweet purplish ones. They are mouth-watering. This is the best way to eat them: picked straight from the tree and popped into your mouth. Be careful while picking as the leaves can give you an itchy rash – as they did me.

Fresh figs don’t have a long shelf-life, however. If you put them in the fridge, be warned: your plump little balls of sublime sweetness will shrivel somewhat.Your family won’t want to eat them. If you are buying from your local fruitseller, I recommend eating them the same day. The larger dark purple ones that we see in Istanbul are a little sturdier and after washing, you may like to peel them before eating.

In Turkey figs are usually eaten fresh or dried. However, I am now going to give you a fantastic cooked figgy recipe that I recommend you make without more ado. It comes from my friend Carol, an ex-Peace Corps Volunteer who came to Turkey in the 1960s. She now lives permanently in a neighbouring village. She is a great cook and remembers those early days in Turkey without a proper oven when cooking was achieved in something called a ‘maraton’. Apparently this was a square-shaped metal box with vents on the sides and a hole at the bottom. What you did was put it on a gas burner – hard to imagine but all sorts of dishes were successfully cooked in it, including cakes! Talking about ovens, my husband told me that with his very first salary, way back, that’s exactly what he bought his mother: a real oven. Anyway, Carol served us this Figgy Cake, warm, with çay  (pron: chai, meaning 'tea'), in her little garden and I rushed to replicate it once I got back to Istanbul with those figs from our tree. Suffice it to say that the finished product lasted barely 2 days in our household..

Everything ready to go for the upside-down version

This recipe is what Carol calls ‘a very forgiving recipe’ . Personally, I think it is a wonderful recipe. It is actually called Apricot Kuchen but I am renaming it ‘Carol’s 2-Way Figgy Cake’. It can be adapted to peaches, nectarines, cherries, raspberries, as well as figs. Whatever you want, really. 8 servings.

Figgy Cake Rightway-Up

Preheat oven to 350F/170F. Grease a 9’’x2’’ round baking pan.

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1tbsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

½ cup soft unsalted butter

¾ cup sugar

2 eggs – (remember to take them out of the fridge beforehand so they are at room temperature)

About 6-8 small figs, washed and halved or 2 cups sliced peeled peaches etc

¼ cup coarsely chopped nuts eg walnuts (optional)

Method

1. Mix together first 3 ingredients in medium-sized bowl.

2. In large bowl, beat the butter and the sugar till light and fluffy (3 – 4 mins).

3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

4. Stir in flour mixture till just incorporated. Scrape batter into pan and spread evenly.

5. Scatter fruit on top. Add nuts if using.

6. Combine and sprinkle 1tbsp sugar and ¼ tbsp ground cinnamon over fruit.

Bake till golden brown and a wooden toothpick comes out clean (about 40 mins). Cool slightly before turning out onto a baking rack.

The halved figs placed in the pan
on top of the butter and sugar

A deliciously moist cake!

Now here is Carol’s ingenious variation which makes it indeed Figgy Upside-down Cake:

1.Melt 2 tbsp butter in bottom of pan (simply put in the oven while it is heating up).

2. Sprinkle 2-3 tbsp granulated sugar on the bottom.

3. Then arrange the fresh fruit, halved, cut side down, and spoon the batter made exactly as above, on top and bake in the pre-heated oven as before.

Tip

After taking out of the oven, let the cake rest in the pan for 10 mins and then invert on a plate. Let cool with the cake pan as a cover. This is obviously for the upside-down version. The fruit won’t stick to the pan.

Serve with icecream.

You will love it!

Bread - its place on the Turkish table and the wonders of the 'firin'

‘Ekmek’: that means bread in Turkish. It is indeed the staple of life here. A Turk without bread on his table would be an unhappy man. While bread to us probably signifies sandwiches, here, it really represents life itself. It is considered a sin to throw away even stale bread. The word ‘gunah’ (sin) is very strong. I remember when I was a child growing up in England, my mother would save the stale bread so we could feed the ducks. This doesn’t seem to be an option here: stale bread is used for kofte, the delicious meatballs they make. We might make breadcrumbs in our food processors and freeze them. But what you most definitely mustn’t do is just chuck it in the bin.

Mehmet and Hatice

I have had the most fabulous afternoon. Hatice, the wife of Mehmet who is our gardener and general handyman, phoned me to say she was making bread today. I had been waiting for her call for a few days. Because it is Ramazan, they are eating less bread as there is a special bread called ‘pide’ which is only baked during this holy month and they are eating this so she wasn’t quite sure when they were going to run out of regular bread next. During this month, all devout Moslems abstain from food and drink between sunrise and sunset. You have to admire them in this heat as not even a drop of water passes their lips. Iftar, the special meal that is eaten to break the fast, is at around 8.15pm these days. It literally depends on when the sun sets. Meanwhile, Pelin and I are consuming a 19 litre container of water every 2-3 days ....

So my friend Elaine and I drove to Pasakoy, the neighbouring village where Mehmet and Hatice live. This baking bread turned out to be a lesson in teamwork. The firin -the outdoor oven – was going full pelt when we arrived, the flames almost leaping out. There has been a full force gale raging since last night but the firin was in a protected spot. Hatice had prepared the dough for 3 loaves for her family of 5; her mother had 1 and her mother-in-law another 1. Then a neighbour who was also a relative arrived with her dough. These were all in metal containers, risen, and ready to go. When the heat of the coals was right, these were upended onto an ancient wooden paddle and pushed into the heart of the firin. It was a joint effort: Hatice’s mother was in charge of the paddle, Hatice emptied each bowl, and Mehmet’s mother floured the paddle for each load of dough. They were amazingly swift, so much so, it was hard to take pictures. For the loaves to be well-risen, maintaining the level of heat is imperative.

Hatice tending the outdoor 'firin'

Hatice and her mother with the dough that has risen

Then we were ushered into Hatice’s sitting room where she graciously offered us tea, despite the fact that none of the other adults were drinking anything. It was just us with the women and Hatice’s children. After only about half an hour, one of the small loaves appeared on a special tray just for us, along with butter and salt, for us to sample.  Again, don’t forget that nobody else was eating anything at all. It was delicious.

Our special loaf

 Well, fresh, hot bread usually is! We resisted the temptation to tuck in. After another 40 minutes or so, we went to witness the other loaves coming out of the oven which were all beautifully risen and firm.

Ouch, they're hot!

I noticed some small things also being retrieved from the firin and realised that they were eggplants! These are delicious when cooked like this: what you do is scoop out the flesh with a spoon, mash it with a fork, and then add yogurt, garlic, a judicious amount of lemon juice with a bit of olive oil and a little salt. This is called patlican salatasi: eggplant salad. Yummy! Of course you can soften up the eggplants in a regular oven but they won’t have that delicous oven-baked taste. For a bit more taste, you can grill them directly over a gas flame but this makes the most horrendous mess so honestly I don’t recommend it.

Finally, while it was still all systems go, and the oven continued to burn hot, Hatice’s mother quickly washed the fresh figs from their trees that had been drying in the sun for the last 4 days. This got rid of any ants or flies that had got into them. They were washed again in salty water, to counteract the sweetness apparently and also to disinfect, and then put onto trays. These were then inserted into the firin to give them a final bake. Thus in winter, no nasty surprises of half-mouldy dried figs, just wonderful sun-filled mouthfuls of goodness.

Hatice's mother washing the sundried figs

One of the big loaves had a pattern on it and we wondered why. Turned out the dough had been resting in a colander so when it was upended on the paddle, the pattern came through!

The one with the pattern from the colander!

Of course, what we have here is very unsophisticated compared to what is available in Istanbul. But these loaves and the ones from the central bakery have absolutely no preservatives in them. This is great but it does mean that they if you are not careful, they become as hard as stone by nightfall! Seriously, you can hardly get your knife through them.

Tip: What I do is cut the loaves into quarters while fresh, and freeze them. This works beautifully. Judicious de-frosting ensures yummy toast for breakfast!

Three Summer Salads

Grilled Pancetta-Wrapped Figs and Arugula with Lavender Dressing
If you're interested in a light dinner in the midst of fig season, this is just wonderful. Plenty of flavor, a delicious dressing, and the little purple flowers which are in nearly every yard during the summer.

















Mustard Lavender Vinaigrette, start the day before if you have time (see recipe below)
About 6 cups arugula or other fresh greens
½ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted (Watch! They burn easily.)
8-12 large fresh black figs
8-12 thin slices pancetta, smoked pepper bacon, or regular bacon
Vegetable oil for brushing the grill
Fresh lavender or society garlic flowers for garnish

1. Wash, dry, and chill the greens.
2. Prepare your grill or broiler.
3. Wrap each fig with a piece of bacon or pancetta and secure with a toothpick or small metal skewer. Brush the grill or broiler rack with vegetable oil. Place figs on the rack and grill or broil, turning frequently, until the bacon is browned, about 5 minutes or a little longer.
4. Drizzle the arugula or other greens with the Mustard Lavender Vinaigrette. Divide the greens among 4-6 individual plates. Arrange 2 or 3 figs on each plate and drizzle with more vinaigrette if desired.
5. Sprinkle with pine nuts and garnish with the fresh flowers.

4-6 servings as a salad course, depending on the size of the figs and how many figs you serve/person
Adapted from James McNair’s Salads

Mustard Lavender Vinaigrette

½ cup fruity extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh lavender flowers
OR
1½ teaspoons crumbled dried lavender flowers
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard or 1 teaspoon dried mustard
1 teaspoon minced or pressed garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

1. In a bowl or jar, combine the olive oil and chopped or crumbled lavender, cover, and let stand at room temperature for at least 24 hours or for up to several weeks. Strain before using.
2. Combine everything except the lavender oil in a bowl or jar. Shake or stir until combined. Add the oil and shake or stir again. Use immediately or store in the fridge. Return to room temperature before serving.

Makes ¾ - 1 cup
Adapted from James McNair’s Salads

Chicken Salad with Walnuts and Grapes
You may think I have a "thing" for roasted fruits and veggies. I must confess that I do--primarily because of the intense flavor. But also because I sometimes buy too many grapes, strawberries, or cherry tomatoes and they may be on the verge of going squishy. Roasting comes in so handy.

















¾ cup mayonnaise (You can use some thick yogurt in place of some of the mayonnaise.)
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice from ½ lemon
½ teaspoon salt or to taste
1/8 teaspoon pepper or to taste
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon
4 individual chicken breasts, poached or microwaved and roughly chopped or shredded
OR
4 cups leftover roasted chicken, bones and skin removed, roughly chopped or shredded
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
½ cup finely chopped celery (about 1 stalk)
1 cup halved red seedless grapes or ½ cup Roasted Grapes, see recipe below
¾ cup roughly chopped walnuts, lightly toasted
Greens, if desired

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon zest and juice, salt, and pepper. Add the chives, parsley and tarragon; mix gently.
2. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, onion, celery, and grapes. Add the mayonnaise mixture and fold together to combine. Add more mayonnaise if the mixture is too dry. Season to taste. Chill until ready to serve.
3. Just before serving, stir in the toasted walnuts. If desired, serve over or surrounded by greens.

4-6 servings
Adapted from the New York Times Sunday Magazine

Oven-Roasted Grapes













2 pounds red grapes, without seeds
A slight sprinkling of sugar

1. Remove the grapes from their stems. Cut in half if large. Line a cookie sheets with a silicone mat or parchment paper and place the grapes on top in a single layer.
2. Turn the oven to 250ºF and place the pan in the oven. You can use the convection setting in your oven on either Bake or Roast and speed up the process a bit.
3. After about an hour, check to see how they are doing; move them around a bit and sprinkle with a small amount of sugar if they taste a little tart to you. Roast for an additional hour or until the grapes have lost some of their juice and shrunk some. Sort of like raisins but with more moisture.

You can use these as an accompaniment to cheese, in salads, on your Steel-Cut Oats for breakfast and in Italian Sausage with Red Grapes or Chicken Salad with Walnuts and Grapes.

Makes about 3 cups
Adapted from John Ash’s Cooking One on One

Quinoa Salad with Pistachios and Cranberries
Quinoa is a grain originally from Peru that has a very high protein content. It is also delicious. This red one is from the Rancho Gordo folks in Napa, California who produce so many outstanding dried beans.

















1/3 cup pistachios or slivered almonds
1 cup quinoa (red from Rancho Gordo or regular)
1½ cups water, heated in the microwave
1 teaspoon salt
2 stalks celery, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
3 scallions, sliced, including some of the green part
¼ cup dried cranberries, chop coarsely if they are big, use more if you'd like
Sherry Vinaigrette, see recipe below

1. Arrange the pistachios or almonds in a single layer in a small pan and toast at 350 F. until lightly browned, about 5 minutes or less. Let them cool to room temperature and chop coarsely.
2. Toast the quinoa in a medium skillet or pottery skillet over low heat, shaking the pan occasionally until it lightly browns, about 5 minutes or longer. It will take a little longer in the pottery skillet, keeping it on low heat. Add the water and salt, cover and bring to a simmer. Cook until the quinoa is soft but still has a little bite, about 15 minutes. The water should be gone.
3. Let it cool. Add the nuts, celery, scallions, and cranberries and toss.
4. Dress with Sherry Vinaigrette. Check for salt, adding more if required.
5. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.

4 servings
Adapted from Fran Gage’s The New American Olive Oil

Sherry Vinaigrette

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil

Mix the vinegar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly pour in the olive oil, whisking with a fork to mix. Taste for seasoning and adjust.

If you are using this for a regular salad, you can add 2 teaspoons minced shallots or green onions. The Quinoa Salad already has green onions in it so these are shallots are not necessary.

Adapted from Fran Gage’s The New American Olive Oil

Three Pre-dinner Dips: Beige, Green and Black

North African Hummus
This is the best hummus in the world. I swear.

1 14 or 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup tahini paste, well stirred
¼ cup lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
2 teaspoon North African Spice Mix
2 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil and sumac, optional

1. Place the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, North African Spice Mix, garlic, and olive oil in a food processor and purée until smooth. You may need to add a bit of water to make it a good spreading consistency.
2. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Can make ahead and chill. Return to room temperature for eating.
3. Place in a low bowl. Make a shallow indentation in the middle of the hummus. Pour in a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with sumac. Serve with Za’tar Spiced Pita.

6-8 servings as a dip before dinner

North African Spice Mix
This spice mix is a pain to make. But once it is done you have the fixings for multiple hummus mixtures in almost no time flat.

1 tablespoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground*
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground*
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1½ teaspoons ground fenugreek, toast and grind if you’re using chunky fenugreek
Note: You can leave it out if you can’t find it.
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon smoky sweet paprika or regular paprika
½ teaspoon smoky hot paprika or a pinch of cayenne

1. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well.
2. Store in a glass jar (like an old spice jar), tightly covered. Label the jar with the contents or you’ll forget what it is. Or I should say, I would forget what it was.

*Note: You can use the previously ground kind as well.

Adapted from Andy Husbands’ and Joe Yonan’s The Fearless Chef

Za’tar Spiced Pita
















1 tablespoon za’tar
Note: This is available at most Middle Eastern or Persian food stores. Go to Zand’s on Solano in Albany, CA if you are in the Bay Area.
1 tablespoon olive oil
OR
1 tablespoon sumac or lemon zest
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted and ground
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried marjoram or oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

4 rounds of pita bread

1. Turn oven on broil with a rack set 4 to 6 inches from the top element.
2. Combine the purchased za’tar with the olive oil.
OR
Make the za’tar: in a small bowl, combine the sesame seeds, sumac, cumin, thyme, marjoram or oregano, and salt.
3. Measure out 1 tablespoon. Add the olive oil and blend well. Place the remaining za’tar in a glass spice jar and mark the contents for the next time.
4. Cut each round into 6-8 pieces. Arrange the pitas on a baking sheet and spread the za’tar and oil mixture evenly over each. You may not need all of your homemade za’tar mixture.
5. Broil until deep golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes, watching carefully and rotating the pan half way through to brown evenly. It can turn from toasted to burnt in an instant.
6. Serve with the hummus.

Adapted from Andy Husbands' and Joe Yonan’s The Fearless Chef

Green Olive Tapenade 
















2 cups pitted green olives
½ cup slivered almonds
1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro
2 tablespoons parsley
1 teaspoon lemon zest, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil, or less
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Look the olives over to see if any still has its pit. Remove and proceed. Combine olives, almonds, garlic, cilantro, parsley, and lemon zest in a food processor.
2. Pulse to combine. Add the olive oil with motor running. Process until the mixture is smooth.
3. Add lemon juice and mix. Add some pepper. Taste for salt but probably you won’t need much.
4. Serve with bread, corn chips, crackers or sliced cucumbers.

Makes about 1½ cups, 4-6 as a dip before dinner
Adapted from The Cakebread Cellers Napa Valley Cookbook

Fig and Black Olive Tapenade
















1 cup stemmed and quartered (about 6 ounces) dried Black Mission figs
1½ cups water
2 cups (1/2 pound) pitted Kalamata or Nicoise olives
Juice of 1 lemon
1½ tablespoons whole grain or smooth mustard
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon drained capers
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons olive oil or more if necessary
Salt and pepper

1. In a heavy medium saucepan, combine the figs and water. Set over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Partially cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until the figs are very tender, about 30 minutes. Cool slightly, drain, reserving 2 tablespoons of the fig cooking liquid.
2. Look the olives over to see if any still has its pit. Remove and proceed. In a food processor, combine the figs, olives, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, capers, rosemary, and reserved 2 tablespoons of fig-cooking liquid. Pulse to create a thick paste. With the motor running, gradually add the oil. Season generously with pepper and add salt to taste, remembering the various salty ingredients.
Note: There is occasionally a pit in the pitted olives. Without having to check each olive before chucking it into the processor, pulse a couple of times at the beginning. You will hear the rattle of the pit. Stop immediately and retrieve it. Pulse another couple of times to make certain you have them all. Then full speed ahead.
3. Transfer to a storage container, cover, and refrigerate at least 24 hours to develop the flavors. But less time in the fridge is OK too.
4. Bring the tapenade to room temperature before serving. Serve with French bread, crackers, or pita chips.

Makes about 2½-3 cups, 8-10 as a dip before dinner
Adapted from Carrie Brown’s The Jimtown Store Cookbook