This is Paula Wolfert’s version of a Provencal pistou sauce. Which makes it a classic in my book. It’s the traditional condiment for soup au pistou. But it’s also great on grilled vegetables, meats or seafood.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4½ cup basil leave torn into pieces each (2 ounces)
- ¼ cup coarsely grated roma tomoatoes
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup finely grated mimolette or slightly aged gouda (3 ounces)
Directions
In a large mortar, pound the garlic with the salt to a paste. Add the basil by the handful and grind the leaves against the side of the mortar until almost smooth. Stir in the tomatoes, and then gradually stir in the olive oil until it’s incorporated. Stir in the cheese and refrigerate until ready to serve.
the true wonder of figs! Monterey Market has some in, and price is starting to come down (pass on the ones at Andronicos that are nearly $7 a basket!).
I have Black Mission and Brown turkey trees in my yard, but we’re quite a ways off from having fruit ready to eat. The fog is not helping!
Have you seen David Tanis’s A Platter of Figs? Truly a man who gets food–and, of course, figs.
My sister would love this. She was just telling me that when she was in Morocco, they would constantly be picking ripe figs right off the trees and eating them. Can’t get much fresher than that.
I am simply unable to find fresh figs, ever. Very frustrating. I’m lucky if I find fig jam even. But if I ever do, I will try this, it sounds wonderful.
Urban foraging = stealing from neighbors, I am guilty! However w/ me it has been wild garlic/ramps, and the neighbors could care less about what is in their yard that has not been mowed since the 1990’s! So no guilt on my end! 🙂
They are way bigger than those on your picture.…I love to eat them with cheese.…blue and aged gouda.….and a glass of Australian Shiraz together.
Angie’s Recipes
You know I never make anything with figs at home but I really do like them a lot. We had figs stuffed with blue cheese and prosciutto on our vacation that we enjoyed. I bet figs with feta are excellent, I’m inspired to try!
Last year, there was a fellow teacher at school who brought me some fresh figs from her tree. It was just a small bowlful and I ate everyone of them just standing looking out my kitchen window. They were glorious.
The week before he died, he kept asking my aunt to PROMISE she would cover up his fig tree. In his broken english…“She’s a gonna die, if she’sa not a covered.” Three times he brought it up and then a few days later, he died after lunch on a full stomach just like he always wanted to.
I was there and I have revered fig trees ever since and their fruit, of course.
That is a beautiful and very personal story. I am proud and honored that you shared it here! Figs and fig trees have that sort of life affirming effect on people. It’s been true for centuries. God bless you and your Grandfather for keeping that wonderful human tradition going for fig lovers like me (and you)! GREG
I cannot find any fresh figs around here, they all either dried or packaged. Now I know why figs are hard find!
I usually come here for your terrific wine pairing ideas. But I had to comment about how dead on you are about figs being like wine. It so true because, like wine figs change character depending on what you serve them with. Joe P.
“urban foraging” = funny stuff!
Here I am this morning, eating some quinoa with figs and honey, and I pull up SippitySup just to see an article about my latest infatuation! I found some local Texas figs at Sprouts (the farmer’s market‑y like grocery here) and had to buy them. I forgot how much I love figs…now I’m contemplating planting a tree and everything. Most of my figs went into my quinoa for breakfast, but a few were eaten out of hand, and some thrown in with some local pears for a pear-fig crumble the other day. (which I scarfed down)
Your dish looks delightfully sweet-salty-savory. Yum!
I suppose you’re doing well working towards eating “not-soup” foods! I can only imagine how glad you are to be healing.
Cool post Greg!
I’m dying for a fresh fig now. I see fig trees all over the place in Los feliz. I may have to do some “urban foraging” myself. Can you eat the skins? Once you slice it in half you eat the whole thing?
if they are properly ripe eat the whole thing! GREG
So I got some fresh figs from the Hollywood Farmer’s Market yesterday and all I can say is WOW. I might have teared a little eating my first fresh fig. I tried those thinly sliced beets with lemon juice and paprika too and WOW.
I’m not sure what variety we have here in Texas, but I received some little beauties in my CSA a couple of weeks ago. And, the ones I see at the farmers’ market are always small. These last figs I had didn’t even make it into a recipe of any kind. We immediately ate them out of hand. So delicious!
I will agree that a perfectly ripe fig is quite possibly one of my favorite foods. It’s down right magical! Especially when they just have started to ferment the slightest bit. Magical!