Highlight #1: Ginormous Fresh FigsYes, that fig is bigger than that nectarine. No, that is not a mini-nectarine. It's just a SUPER AWESOME FIG. I love fresh figs. Love, love, love. Love. Over at my aunt's house, the first fig harvest of the season yields the most stunning beauties. Then, the birds catch on, and soon they've eaten all the big ones, and we're left picking figs prematurely in an attempt to beat the birds. I only picked a few of these big King Figs this year, but man-o-man, they are lovely. Smooshy and delicious.
Highlight #2: Breakfast at WimbledonLately, this is my most favorite breakfast. Homemade granola + fresh berries + fresh almond milk = great way to start the day. I go to bed at night looking forward to my delicious breakfast. Sooooo good. Some days I use a mix of strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries... but this day was the finals at Wimbledon, so in keeping with the tradition, I stuck with plain strawberries. Congrats Roger!
Highlight #3: Casual Weeknight Dinner"Corn Flan over Tomato Compote with Spicy Grilled Nectarines" from "The Artful Vegan." Believe it or not, I made this for dinner on one of the nights that I don't get home from teaching until 9:00. The flan was made in the morning, and everything else came together quite quickly. It looks very fancy, but unfortunately, it was sort of a dud. I was just so damned proud of myself for making it in the first place that I felt compelled to blog about it. The flan was lacking in flavor - excessively mild and subtle. I think the recipe could easily be rescued with a bit more punch from the flan recipe. The most wonderful surprise of the meal was the Spicy Grilled Nectarine - wow! Totally unexpected. Somehow the sweet and the heat really added a perfect element to the overall recipe.
Hightlight #4: Cookieeeeees!I am working on a cookie recipe to share with you. It will be good. I am exploring a few different manifestations of a core concept. Details soon.
Highlight #5: BBQ Shish-Kabobs for dinner!So colorful, so pretty, so yummy! These are the BBQ Tempeh Kabobs from "Vegan Fusion Cuisine." I've made them before and I really love them. The homemade BBQ sauce is quick and has great flavor, and I love the summery combo of all those bright veggies with big chunks of tempeh. Mmmm. Perfect.
Now I'm off for a week in Yosemite, lots of trailmix and sandwiches on the trail! Have a great week!
ps. Francesca, yes! I'd love to do a swap. Send me an email: ameyfm at yahoo dot com
I just read a post about fig ice cream (not vegan but could be) and now your beautiful fig photo. Too bad figs don't grow in Wisconsin. We once camped next to a fig tree in Dubrovnik and picked fresh figs for breakfast.
ReplyDeleteWow!! I've never seen a fig like that!
ReplyDeleteShhh....do you hear that? Those cookies are calling my name! They are beautiful jam packed chocolate goodies and I want one, no wait, I want 10! Can't wait for your recipe.
ReplyDeleteMmmm, I love figs and that one truly is impressive.
Great pictures!
wow that fig is huge!!
ReplyDeletethe cookies look great.
Gargantuan fig! Yummy. I've eaten a few smaller figs off a friend's tree, so good!
ReplyDeleteThe corn flan sounds awfully interesting, even though it was bland. I've actually got some corn sitting at home waiting to be used...
That is one gigantic fig! Holy crap! I haven't seen fresh figs around here yet, but I can't wait to make yummy fig spread with 'em when they come in.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the flan dish is lovely. Sorry it was bland though! And finally, I heart cookiessssss!!!!!!!!!
your fig is confusing me a great deal. i wish you had taken an inside shot, too. so is that ripe? it looks so firm and unripe. do you know what the variety is? was it delicious?? you should make mini tarts and slice that bitch to fit across the entire diameter. fig insides are so cool!
ReplyDeletexo
kittee
OMG--I cannot even begin to tell you how jealous I am of your figs! They are one of my most favorite things in the world...I wish they grew here!! They are not even in the stores yet...but when they are, I am sure I will go broke paying the outrageous prices they charge for them in MN :-) Enjoy the local ones you have!!
ReplyDeleteCourtney
omg that fig is HUGE. holy yum. also that corn flan looks amazing. i wish i could eat flan every single day, but unfortunately it's so not vegan.
ReplyDeleteThe first time I tasted a fig was last 2 weeks and what a sugar rush that was for me. Wow you are working on a lot sorry the flan recipe wasn't that great . Those kabobs looks so great. I was thinking about blogging about some but I am not going to buy a grill to do this one thing so I will have to put them in the oven. I cannot wait to try out your cookie recipe. I am still using Dreena Burton's recipe which is a keeper but I am open to new ones.
ReplyDeleteThat's what you call a casual weeknight dinner? It looks pretty fancy to me!
ReplyDeleteI totally would have thought that flan was amazing! Sorry about the dud!
ReplyDeleteHow much of the mesquite meal to do you use in your granola & do you use that to completely replace the sweetener? If you are able to, I would love to see the recipe posted!
ReplyDeletejen e.