Fig Pecan Scones

It’s that time of year when figs are in abundance both in farmers’ markets and on backyard fig trees. However, my ornery fig tree has an abundance of healthy leaves but few figs growing on it. I’ll be lucky to get a half dozen to ripen at most. Last year was a bit better, and we enjoyed perhaps a dozen ripe figs, all ripening one at a time, making it impossible to bake anything that required more than one or two. It’s not the first fig tree I’ve grown, and hope springs eternal, but let’s just say I’ve given the ultimatum before to fig trees that don’t produce. I’ve got one planted in a pot for a year now also, and I’m going to try that as a backup in case this turns out to be a recalcitrant producer too.

In any event, I froze some of last year’s harvest, intending to use them sooner than this, but here I am making fig scones again. I made them in the past with fresh figs and found the flavor a little too mild, so I added some dried figs to the mix too, and I loved the combination of both types of figs.

I also added some pecans to the dough, just because I love pecans. But almonds and figs are a great combo too. If I were to do that, I’d add almond extract instead of the vanilla in the recipe.

Chop the figs into small pieces. If using frozen figs, don’t defrost them fully. Just enough to cut into pieces.

Shape the dough into a circle (be careful not to overwork the dough or the scones will be tough). Cut into eight sections, almost to the bottom of the dough to the pan. Sprinkle more pecans on top.

Cut them and separate the scones and serve as is, warm from the oven.

But for a little sweeter touch, drizzle some of the sugar-y glaze on top.

They are soft and crunchy at the same time. I hope you enjoy them. By the way, if you’ve got a stubborn fig tree that is slow to deliver, try using the leaves alone in this quick and delicious recipe for flounder baked in fig leaves: https://ciaochowlinda.com/2020/09/flounder-baked-in-fig-leaves.html

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Fig Pecan Scones

Author: Ciao Chow Linda

printable recipe here

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup heavy cream , plus extra for brushing the top
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped fresh figs
• 1/2 cup chopped dried figs
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (save some for the top)
• 3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
• enough water to form a drizzle

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl.
3. Blend in the butter with your fingers, a fork or a pastry blender, until it resembles coarse sand.
4. Beat the egg with the cream and vanilla and stir it into the flour and butter mixture with a wooden spoon.
5. Add the pecans and the figs.
6. Do not overmix.
7. Knead it together until it forms a ball, then flatten into a 9 or 10 inch circle.
8. Take a knife and make indentations, cutting into eight pieces, almost down to the bottom of the pan.
9. The mixture will be sticky.
10. Sprinkle more pecans on top, if desired.
11. Bake at 400 degrees for at least 30 minutes.
12. It may need another 5-15 minutes depending on the diameter and thickness of your circle.
13. If you want, you can cut all the way through the dough and bake each scone individually.
14. It will take about 20-30 minutes if you do it that way.
15. Let the scones cool completely if you want to glaze them.
16. Otherwise eat warm from the oven with butter.
17. If glazing, mix the confectioners’ sugar with enough water to get a consistency of a glaze.
18. Drizzle on top.

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Bulgur Salad

Summertime is the season for barbecues, picnics and salads, but you may be looking for something different than the ubiquitous potato, macaroni or tomato salad. If you’ve ever eaten the middle Eastern dish of tabbouleh, you’ve had bulgur, a cracked wheat grain from kernels that are parboiled and dried before packaging. As a result, bulgur takes just a few minutes to cook, making it the perfect, easy grain when you want something different and don’t have much time. Just bring some water to a boil, dump in the bulgur, place the lid on top, turn off the heat and wait ten minutes. Fluff it with a fork, and you’re ready to use it — either hot with condiments, or in this case, cold with a lot of veggies and salad dressing. It’s like an artist’s canvas waiting for your creativity. In this case, I added chickpeas, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, scallions and parsley, plus some sheep’s milk feta cheese, then tossed it with a simple oil and vinegar dressing. It’s a great side dish, but could be a whole meal in itself, since it’s got the chickpeas and feta for protein, along with the vegetables. So try it and bring it to your next party or make it just for yourself. It lasts for a few days in the fridge, so you can enjoy the leftovers for lunch.

Bulgur Salad

printable recipe here

Author: Ciao Chow Linda

Ingredients

• 2 cups bulgur
• 5 cups water
• 1/2 cup cucumber, finely diced
• 1/2 red pepper, minced
• 3 scallions, sliced thinly
• a dozen cherry or grape tomatoes, cut into quarters
• 6 ounces sheep’s milk feta, cut into small pieces
• 1 15 ounce can chick peas, drained and rinsed
• a bunch of parsley, minced
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup vinegar (I used white balsamic)
• salt, pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Bring the water to a boil.
2. Add the bulgur, turn off the heat and put a lid on the pot.
3. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes, then fluff with a fork and place in a bowl to cool.
4. When the bulgur is cool, add the rest of the ingredients and mix well with the oil and vinegar.
5. Adjust seasonings if more salt or pepper is needed.

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Ravioli with Creamy Corn Sauce

Summertime is the best season for flavorful produce here in New Jersey– peaches, melons, tomatoes, and sweet corn, among others. That’s why we’re known as the “Garden State!” I hope you’re in the midst of corn season too because you’ve got to try this luscious dish to be savored only when fresh corn on the cob is available. These ricotta-stuffed ravioli are bathed in a sauce based on butter, cream and sweet corn. This dish is not only delicious but really quick to make too, assuming you use purchased ravioli. Strip the corn from the cobs and mince the herbs. Place the ravioli into a pot of water that’s come to a rolling boil.

For this dish, I bought cheese ravioli from Pastosa in Manasquan, NJ. The flagship store is in Brooklyn, but there are several other locations in New York and New Jersey. I got to the store just as it was closing at 6 pm so had little time to browse, but was amazed at the large selection of Italian products, fresh meats and prepared foods. I can’t wait to go back and peruse longer.

The sauce comes together quickly while the ravioli are boiling. Just melt the butter in the pan, and add the rest of the ingredients. 

Let the sauce reduce slightly, then add the ravioli directly to the pan once they’re cooked.

Don’t worry if a little water comes along with the ravioli. You can just let it cook a couple more minutes to reduce further.The first time I made this, I used home-made ravioli and white corn, which has become the most prevalent in markets these days. If you can find yellow corn, it really makes for a prettier dish. And if you can find ravioli as good as Pastosa makes, save yourself the time and trouble of making your own.

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Ravioli with Creamy Corn Sauce

Author: Ciao Chow Linda

printable recipe here

Ingredients

• 2 ears of yellow corn, kernels stripped off the cob
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• a few sage leaves
• minced chives
• a few basil leaves
• a small grating of nutmeg
• salt, white pepper to taste
• 3 dozen small cheese ravioli
• grated parmesan cheese for topping

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan.
2. Pour the heavy cream and white wine into the saucepan.
3. Add the corn and cook the ingredients at high heat for a couple of minutes until it starts to thicken slightly.
4. Add the salt, pepper and herbs and stir.
5. Remove the cooked ravioli from the boiling water and place into the pan with the sauce.
6. Don’t worry if a little water comes along with the ravioli, you can reduce the sauce further if you want.
7. Gently stir the ravioli in the sauce.
8. Serve with grated parmesan cheese.

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