Figgy Pudding Bites
Eating seasonally requires paying attention as you walk through produce
departments. You might not remember that this is fig season because
only the most fortunate among us have fig trees growing in our back
yards.
And, since figs are extremely fragile and have a short shelf life, there may be a small display of them tucked into a cooler somewhere.
They can also be pricey so I only buy them when I plan to use them quickly.
In the past two weeks I've bought fresh figs at Alba Produce in the North End and at Whole foods. In past years I've also purchased them at Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge and at Russo's in Watertown.
So far this season, we've enjoyed them on our cheese trays and as
desserts. But, figs can become part of any course you are serving. They
are wonderful eaten out of hand. You can add them to salads or curries,
grill them stuffed with cheese and wrapped with bacon or ham, or bake
them into a tart or turnover.
One of the BostonZest goals, in the months ahead, is to help even our "non-cooking" readers prepare some simple items that require more shopping know-how than kitchen skills. Today we present "Figgy Pudding Bites."
Bring home some fresh figs and a good rice pudding. I used Kozy Shack purchased at Whole Foods for the dessert in this photo.
Wash the figs, cut off the hard little stem at the top, make two cuts three-quarters of the way down the fig to form a cross.
Gently ease the fig open and spoon in a dollop of rice pudding. Make as
many as you want for dessert. Three on a plate with a couple of cookies
on the side should be ample for most folks.
You can also stuff the figs with tapioca or your favorite ice cream. Or for an appetizer switch the stuffing to a soft cheese or a blue cheese. Gorgonzola or St Andrea are especially delicious with figs.
Details:
Alba Produce Company
22 Parmenter Street, Boston MA 02113
A. Russo & Sons Inc.
560 Pleasant Street, Watertown MA 02472
Formaggio Kitchen
244 Huron Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138
www.formaggiokitchen.com
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