Fig and Prosciutto Sourdough Pizza with Rosemary, Goat Cheese and Ricotta
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My favorite kind of pizza is the non-traditional sort. Though pepperoni and mozzarella and tomato sauce are a crowd-pleaser, I prefer the experimental and unexpected. This pizza already gets a kickstart on flavor with its slightly tart and wholly delicious sourdough crust, a perfect foundation for juicy figs, salty prosciutto and herbaceous rosemary. The base is cheese and sauce in one, a combination of goat cheese, ricotta and parmesan with a splash of olive oil.

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Fig and Prosciutto Sourdough Pizza with Rosemary, Goat Cheese and Ricotta

  • Sourdough pizza dough

  • 5 or 6 ripe figs, sliced in half

  • 3 oz prosciutto

  • 3 sprigs of rosemary, stems removed and leaves reserved

  • 1/2 cup soft goat cheese

  • 1/2 cup ricotta cheese

  • 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling

  • 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence (optional)

  • Pepper, to taste (salt is reserved here as prosciutto tends to lend enough saltiness; you may add some to taste if needed)

  • Cornmeal, for dusting the dough

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a small mixing bowl combine the goat cheese, ricotta cheese, parmesan, and olive oil.

Gently stretch the pizza dough until it’s large and thin enough for your liking, dusting the bottom and edges with cornmeal before placing it on a pizza pan or sheet pan. Smear the cheese mixture over the dough. Top with the figs, prosciutto, and rosemary. Sprinkle with pepper and herbes de Provence and drizzle the pizza with a bit of olive oil before popping it into the oven. Bake the pizza for approximately 25 minutes, or until the edges are browned.

Almond Plum Cake
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Summer is stone fruit season, which means juicy peaches and plums and nectarines make an appearance on the farmer’s market stands while the day’s heat slowly settles over Saturday shoppers schlepping around totes full of the season’s best. With a few ripening plums in the kitchen and a small victory to celebrate, this cake emerged from my oven on a sunny afternoon. I would call this the sort of casual cake you have when a friend stops by along with a splash of iced coffee or a crisp white wine, depending on the time of day. Not fussy in any way with plum slices strewn across the top, it only needs a dusting of powdered sugar and good company to share it with.

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Almond Plum Cake

makes one 8 inch cake

  • 1 cup all purpose flour

  • 3/4 cup almond flour

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

  • 2 eggs

  • 2 tablespoons honey

  • 2 tablespoons almond butter

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1/2 cup almond milk

  • 1/2 cup sugar

  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

  • Pinch of salt

  • Pinch of nutmeg and cardamom

  • 2 small ripe plums, sliced into wedges

  • Powdered sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour an 8 inch springform pan (you may add parchment paper to the bottom as well to ensure easy removal) and set aside.

Whisk together the all purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cardamom. In a different bowl, whisk together the olive oil, eggs, honey, almond butter, milk, sugar, and almond extract. Gradually fold in the dry ingredients.

Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan. Place the plum wedges on top.

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the top of the cake is golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before removing the cake from the pan. Serve at room temperature and dust with powdered sugar just before serving..

This cake pairs well with generous scoops of vanilla flecked ice cream, a drizzle of melted dark chocolate and a handful of slivered almonds sprinkled over each slice, or by itself with an espresso or chilled glass of bubbly.

Tomato Soup
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A good dose of rain over the past few weeks blessed my little town with lush green hillsides and blooming backyard roses, spurring a craving for meals that warm you from the inside out after a day’s worth of rain boot stomping and umbrella wielding. As we’re now teetering on the edge of springtime and looking towards summer, perhaps a whopping bowl of hot soup may not be a viable option for this week’s dinner due to a sunny locality, but for the unexpected June thunderstorm and the last rainy days of spring, this makes for a comforting meal when the weather turns. Keep this recipe tucked away for when you find yourself craving soup, for now and for six months from now, whether it’s the way the clouds are rolling in or a simple pang of wanting.

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Tomato Soup

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 white or yellow onion, chopped

  • 1/2 cup red wine

  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

  • 4 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1/4 cup tomato paste

  • 2 28 oz cans whole San Marzano tomatoes, with juices

  • 8 cups filtered water

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

  • Pinch of nutmeg

  • 2 generous teaspoons herbes de Provence

  • 1/2 cup whole milk (optional)

  • Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large pot, melt the butter and add the olive oil. Add the onion, cooking over medium-low heat until translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook until the mixture begins to brown on the bottom of the pot. Then, add the wine and the balsamic vinegar, scraping up any bits at the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Allow the wine to simmer for about 5 minutes or until it’s reduced a bit.

Add the San Marzano tomatoes with their juices, 8 cups of filtered water, the sugar, nutmeg, and herbes de Provence. Bring to a gentle boil, then turn the heat down and allow the soup to simmer for 1 hour, uncovered.

After the soup has simmered for 1 hour, it should be reduced by about 1/4th of its volume. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until there are no bits of tomato or onion left and it’s quite smooth. Add the milk (optional, and if you do, be sure not to allow the soup to boil after adding it), and the salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with torn pieces of toasted bread and a sprinkling of cheese on top.

Chocolate Fig Ice Cream
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The seasons are turning again, all is coming alive and green, and a hankering for cold dessert has come along with the sound of crickets filling warmed nights. A jar of fig jam and dark chocolate hidden away in my pantry were just begging to be used and with a surplus of eggs and cream left over from a family brunch, I whisked it all together one night when a new batch of richly flavored ice cream was on my mind. No extra sugar added, this dessert gets all its sweetness from fig and chocolate. Deep ruby jam and rich chunks of chocolate are swirled with this fruit sweetened chocolate cream to make for a truly decadent treat. This ice cream would pair excellently with strong espresso for a fantastic affogoto.

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Chocolate Fig Ice Cream

  • 2 cups low fat milk

  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

  • 6 egg yolks

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

  • 1/4 cup fig jam plus more for swirling into the ice cream

  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips or baking wafers

  • Approximately 1 cup roughly chopped dark chocolate

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together the heavy cream, milk, salt, and vanilla. When it feels warm to the touch, add the 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips or wafers along with the fig jam and whisk until melted and combined. While the chocolate cream is mixture continues heating, whisk the egg yolks in a heatproof bowl. When the cream is steaming and has reached a temperature of 175 degrees, scoop 1/3 cup of the hot chocolate cream and whisk it into the egg yolks (do not skip this step, as pouring all the milk in at once will cause the eggs to curdle with the rapid temperature change). Continuing to whisk, add another 1/3 cup of the hot cream, then a final 1/3 cup. Finally, pour the remainder of the hot chocolate cream mixture into the bowl and whisk until completely combined. Allow to cool, then place in the refrigerator.

Chill the chocolate cream in the refrigerator overnight or for at least four hours until very cold.

After chilling, churn the custard according to your ice cream machine's directions. Spoon the ice cream into a freezer safe container and add the chopped dark chocolate and a few big spoonfuls of fig jam, swirling with a spoon. For a soft serve consistency, serve immediately. To firm the ice cream, place in a freezer-safe container and allow to freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight, then serve.