definitive, ultimate fig leather

fig dilemma.

the last two years, i've made fig jam (delicious, but there's only so much jam i and my associates can eat, and i usually end up with a fridge still full of last year's batch when the new season rolls around), and i wanted something portable and unusual (ie something i wouldn't buy) to preserve and enjoy this bounty. there are many, many recipes and techniques available on the net for making fruit leather, and even specifically fig leather, but none had sufficient detail. i have compiled my learnings for DEFINITIVE, ULTIMATE FIG LEATHER

• surprisingly easy but requires patience (about 6 hours' worth)
• don't underestimate the weather- pick a sufficiently cool (and preferably dry) day as the stove and oven will be on a while. also get a book or dvd to fill in the time, and a timer.
• the recipe below makes two 40cm x 30cm sheets; but if you can, double the recipe to make 4 trays and fill your whole oven because the amount of work is the same, and unlike jam, your whole proceeds may very well disappear in an afternoon
• the amount of sweetener is probably not very important; figs being very sweet as it is, i wonder if one could do without sweetener altogether
• an oven thermometer is very, very useful for this recipe. a dehydrator with a reliable temperature gauge would also do well

2-3kgs figs, rinsed

2-3Tbs lemon juice

0.25c agave syrup

3Tbs ground cinnamon, aniseed (optional)

halve or quarter figs; remove pithy top of stem. cook figs in large saucepan (8-10L) sealed with lid on low heat until some juice is released- about 10-15 minutes. remove lid, stir and cook on medium heat (gentle simmer), stirring every few minutes with a wooden spoon (so it doesn't stick) for the next 30-40 minutes. 

set oven to 50C. if oven only goes to 80C-100C, prop the door open 1-2cm with a wooden spoon or other item.

figs should be mushy. remove from heat for a minute, blend with a stabmixer in the saucepan until there are no bits of fruit; the seeds won't blend, and give a nice texture. stir in the lemon juice and agave nectar, and stir every minute over medium-low heat for a further 20-30 minutes until mixture is thick (ie the mixture doesn't slide back together immediately when a spoon is drawn in a line through the centre of the mixture).

spread half the mixture 0.5cm thick on a silicon baking sheet sprayed lightly with oil (or a cookie sheet covered with baking paper sprayed with oil). allow for 1-2cm border free from mixture; spread the rest on a second sheet. if using, sprinkle top with ground cinnamon and aniseed.

place on upper racks of oven for 3-4 hours until the leather is not too tacky or soft to the touch; there should be very little give. during this time, you may want to rotate the sheets front to back (my oven is hotter towards the door), and top and bottom trays (as heat rises and will dry the top tray more than the bottom). 

remove each sheet one at a time from oven temporarily. lightly spray a piece of baking paper (one for each sheet of leather) with oil and lay on each sheet of leather. lay a chopping board or other flat item on top, then flip the lot over and peel the silicon/baking paper bottom carefully off the leather. return the leather now on the baking paper to the oven for a further 30-45 minutes, or until the centre is not tacky to touch. switch the oven off and leave the door closed for 1-2 hours.

to store, cut with a sharp knife into stips and layer alternating with baking paper in an airtight container in the fridge.

fried rice a thousand ways

i completely, utterly, unabashedly adore rice. steamed rice with spicy satay sauce or soy sauce and sesame oil... oh, so good!


this is a little more work, but so worthwhile; it can be done alone but it is best done, as it is many mornings each week, with another person: one to chop and one to fry.


anything can be used (especially little leftover veggies), but my proportions are usually 20% rice, 30% extra firm tofu, 50% veggies. i use a wok and a frying pan to speed things up.


steam the rice the night before, and allow to cool overnight in the fridge. 


cut tofu into 1cm or smaller cubes. pan fry with salt, ground pepper and garlic powder or fresh ginger, remove from heat and set aside.


chop all veggies into 1cm pieces; my favourites are carrot, cabbage, broccoli or cauliflower, enoki mushrooms (the long stringy ones found prepackaged in asian supermarkets) and snowpeas, but will use anything i have.


heat the wok and fry all the veggies at once; cook for 2 minutes, then add in a crushed clove of garlic; cook 3-4 more minutes, then tip the veggies into the frying pan on top of the tofu and set aside. 


lower the heat in the wok, add a little oil and then the rice. try to keep it moving for a minute, then add crushed garlic to taste (2 cloves might do it, though i do more); fry for another 1-2 minutes, then add the veggies and tofu back in. fry together for 1 minute, then add soy sauce and serve. drizzle with sesame oil for extra deliciousness!

workshop: learn how to make sugo and gnocchi!

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much excitement!


i will be teaching a sugo and gnocchi workshop at spotswood community house on saturday 5 march, 10am-1pm; organic ingredients, lunch included, and take-home goodies for all. places are strictly limited, so get in quick!


an initiative of the newport organic collective and spotswood community house: click here for more details

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baking powder

i have three words for you: make your own!


2 cream of tartar:1 bicarb soda:1 cornstarch 


combine and store in airtight container. voila!


you can omit the cornstarch if using all the mixture immediately, but put a quarter less than the specified measurement of baking powder in your recipe to make up for the different ratio. 

gingerbread: fail

*sigh*


like a lot of other people, i was really excited and quickly disappointed by "babycakes" cookbook. great photos, crazy celebrity endorsement, fantastic-sounding recipes... which just don't work. maybe they work only if you have a $700 kitchenaid? or pamela anderson in the kitchen?


apologies for the snark. the point is that i (and a million others) with considerable baking experience have not been able to make these recipes (fully of expensive specialty ingredients) work.


anyway. the gingerbread was ok; turned out very wet (still liquid after +10 minutes on cooking time +extra 30 minutes), and needed to be baked in a dry frying pan or sandwich press prior to serving. serve with butter and honey.


don't get me started on the frosting. #^&$?%!!!!!!!!!


*end grumps*

cynara scolymus

"...scale by scale,

we strip off

the delicacy

and eat

the peaceful mush

of its green heart..."

"we taste of that sweetness,

dismembering scale after scale.
we eat of a halcyon paste:
it is green at the artichoke"

"leaf by leaf
we unsheathe
its delights
and eat
the peaceable flesh
of its green heart"

part of pablo neruda's "ode to an artichoke", translated in different ways

trim stalks to 1cm beneath the bulb. boil upright in salted water for approx 30 minutes, or until heart is tender (you may need to re-boil to achieve this without overcooking them the first time). serve with vinaigrette or bechamel.


mona caron's amazing mural in san fransisco

strawberry jam

an unexpected abundance of strawberries led me to the unthinkable: jam.

i can't believe that i've had this opportunity; cooking strawberries, to me, has always been luxury verging on impossibility. i have not used as much sugar as is usually recommended, which means that it may not keep for long (as though that was really a concern...). if you want a thicker jam, increase sugar to 800g, and/or add pectin.

also, i don't fully sterilise (only sit my jars in boiled water for a few minutes), nor do i seal (but i do store in the fridge until and after opening). the peach and fig jams i made in march are still fine: no mould or other spoilage so far.

1kg strawberries, rinsed and leaves cut off

2 small green apples

400-500g raw sugar

1 lemon, juice and pips

cut strawberries into halves, place in large saucepan. thickly peel the apples, remove cores and wrap peel, lemon pips and core in muslin. tie muslin closed securely and place in pan with apple cut into large chunks. cook over low heat for 30 minutes. add lemon juice and sugar, cook for a further 10 minutes, or until jam sets on the back of a spoon. mash with a potato masher, or blend with a stab mixer.

i also made a smaller batch with xylitol (400g strawberries, 2/3c xylitol, 1 apple, 1 lemon juice and pips). it tastes 95% as good as the sugar batch, but is not as gelled.

cultured veg class at wholefood organics

yeah!

the class was great fun, and super value ($15 for two hours including all ingredients). we brought home three jars of yummy kraut-to-be: on the left is red cabbage-apple-zucchini; in the middle is carrot-cabbage-beetroot-garlic; and on the right is red cabbage-kumera-apple-rosemary. we used grainfields liquid as a starter, but as yet i'm not convinced that it's any better than using kefir whey.

so my pretties are busy fermenting in the cupboard, and i have no idea how to accommodate them in the fridge... i guess i'll just have to eat them all pronto :)

UPDATE: 4/9/10 - i'm finding that i'm not super into the kraut cultures with the grainfields liquid; maybe i used too much? i'm finding the flavour of these krauts a bit OTT, and will definitely return to culturing exclusively with kefir whey.

update: sauerkraut

yum. this stuff is 2 weeks old now, and lives in the fridge. very nice as an accompaniment to any european or middle eastern food.