Tag: figs

Gochujang Lamb Shanks, Polenta, Fresh Greens, Hot Mustard Sauce

Gochujang Lamb Shanks, Polenta, Fresh Greens, Hot Mustard Sauce

Gochujang Lamb Shanks
Creamy Parmesan Polenta
Fresh Wild Arugula, Mint, Scallions
Hot Mustard Sesame Garlic Sauce

Gochujang brings a fiery kick, while daikon radish provides a crisp, peppery contrast to the creamy polenta. A bold hot mustard sauce balances beautifully with the rich succulent meat. These lamb shanks are slow-braised in a tangy, sweet, and savory blend of pomegranate juice and figs, then finished under the broiler for a crispy exterior and meltingly tender, flavorful interior.

With its sweet heat and deep, fermented umami notes, gochujang—Korean red chili paste—offers a balanced fruitiness, a hint of smokiness, and layers of flavor from sun-dried Korean red peppers. It complements the meat and pomegranate-fig sauce perfectly, resulting in a dish bursting with vibrant flavors, contrasting textures, bold aromas, and a wild presentation.

Gochujang Lamb Shanks, Polenta, Fresh Greens, Hot Mustard Sauce

Gochujang Lamb Shanks Recipe

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Fresh Fig Salad with Fig Vinaigrette

Fresh Fig Salad with Fig Vinaigrette

Fresh Fig Salad with Fig Vinaigrette
Arugula, Prosciutto, Bleu Cheese, Toasted Pine Nuts, Basil

It’s fig season! Fresh figs combined with peppery arugula, crispy prosciutto, pungent bleu cheese, toasted pine nuts and a fruity vinaigrette –  this fig salad offers a harmonious balance of sweet, salty, peppery, nutty, and tangy flavors. And the figs add vibrant color to this salad. Their deep purple or green skin and the rich, pinkish flesh insides are perfect for creating a stunning summer dish.

There are hundreds of varieties of figs in the world with several grown in California:

  • The Black Mission Fig was named after the mission fathers who planted the fruit as they made their way north along the California coast. It is famous for its distinctive flavor and deep purple hue.
  • The Kadota Fig is the American version of the original Italian Dattato. It is thick-skinned and is a beautiful amber color when ripe.
  • The Brown Turkey Fig is purplish-brown in color with green shades around its neck. The pulp is an amber color and it has a very mild flavor.
  • The Calimyrna Fig is known for its delicious nut-like flavor and tender, golden skin.
  • The Sierra Fig has a light-colored green skin with a fresh, sweet flavor like a Riesling.
  • The Tiger Fig has a light yellow color with unique dark green stripes and a bright red-purple interior fruit with fruity, raspberry, citrus flavor.

If possible try to compose this salad with a few different varieties.

Fresh Fig Salad with Fig Vinaigrette Recipe

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Happy Hour: Figs, Cheese, Sherry

Happy Hour: Figs, Cheese, Sherry

International Happy Hour
Mission Figs/Cambozola/Oloroso Sherry

Fresh figs from California, creamy cheese from Germany, and semi-sweet sherry from Spain together create an amazing food synergy. They enhance each other in this simple yet stellar international happy hour fare.

Our cherished dark purple California figs were brought to the New World in the 1500s and got their name from the Franciscan missionaries who brought them up from Mexico and planted them in the mission gardens along the Pacific coast in the late 1700s.

  • Black Mission Figs have a honeyed-earthy-fruity flavor and creamy lusciousness. They are available fresh from mid-May through November.
  • Cambozola is German cow’s milk cheese reminiscent of a combination of French Brie and Italian Gorgonzola…triple creamy with that distinctive bleu cheese flavor.
  • Oloroso Sherry from Jerez, Spain has wonderful aromas of nuts, vanilla and caramel plus rich nutty semi-sweet creamy flavors. Oloroso sherries offer a terrific balance between sweet and dry.
  • A chewy rustic bread brushed with good olive oil is key, be sure to grill the bread over an open flame rather than toast it, that smoky char adds an important element to the combination.
  • Fresh thyme sprigs add another earthy layer.

Enjoy figs warmed in adorable cast iron pans with bubbling cambozola on grilled bread with a nip of oloroso sherry for a rich, savory, smoky, and sweet happy hour. Cheers to Fall!

Fresh Figs and Melted Cambozola Recipe

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Figs and Sabayon à la Julia Child

Figs and Sabayon à la Julia Child

Celebrating Julia Child’s Birthday
with
Macerated Fresh Black Mission Figs and Marsala/French Vermouth Sabayon
Roasted Hazelnuts, Maldon Sea Salt, Borage

It has been a tradition since the beginning of Taste With The Eyes in 2007, to celebrate and honor Julia Child in the month of August. She passed away eleven years ago today, and her 103rd birthday would have been on Saturday.

With the happy confluence of the call for chilled desserts by my friends at the Food Network, the need for an elegant dessert course for my virtual restaurant – The Borage & Basil Bistro, and the annual tribute to our beloved Chef – it is my sweet pleasure to share Figs and Sabayon à la Julia Child.

Julia Child Tributes

Travel back in time and enjoy French food and revel in its perfection as Julia describes her very first meal in France in 1948. (here)

Sneak into Julia’s kitchen to watch her make the authentic Caesar Salad and Salmon in Papillote in her usual charming and un-fussy manner. (here)

Join Julia and her friends in a beautiful courtyard, seated at a little white table beneath a leafy trellis for a splendid lunch, while they uncover the secret of loup de mer. (here)

Joyeux Anniversaire Julia Child
Joyeux Anniversaire Julia Child

Julia Child
August 15, 1912 – August 13, 2004

“…A careful approach will result in a magnificent burst of flavor, a thoroughly satisfying meal, perhaps even a life changing experience. Such was the case with the Sole Meunière I ate at La Couronne on my first day in France, in November 1948. It was an epiphany. In all the years since that succulent meal, I have yet to lose the feelings of wonder and excitement that it inspired in me. I can still almost taste it. And thinking back on it now reminds me that the pleasures of the table, and of life, are infinite – toujours bon appetit!“

  -Julia Child, My Life In France

Figs and Sabayon à la Julia Child Recipe

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Lemon Ricotta Pasta Salad with Figs and Mint

Lemon Ricotta Pasta Salad with Figs and Mint
Lemon Ricotta Pasta Salad
with
Figs, Mint, Macadamia Nuts

Light, lemony, and refreshing. Perfect for a picnic side dish or a lunch on the veranda served with a chilled glass of crisp Sauvignon Blanc. Nuts and fruit, lemon and mint – pair with crema di ricotta to make a pasta salad just meant to be enjoyed on a warm day in brilliant sunshine.

Fresh figs have two seasons in California – the first two weeks in June, then the second season runs August through October. If fresh figs are available, by all means try them in this salad – but if not, dried figs work just as well.

Lemon Ricotta Pasta Salad Recipe

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