Recipes by Marie Simmons:
Fresh Fig and Peach Crumble
Makes 6 to 8 servings
With peaches and figs in season at the same time their pairing in this buttery pastry topped crumble is perfect. For a variation try the recipes with all figs, figs and nectarines, figs and raspberries, or figs and plums.
Ingredients:
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into big chunks
- 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Pinch of salt
- 1 pound peaches, peeled, halved, cut into ½ inch wedges
- 1 pound firm ripe figs, preferably Brown Turkey or large Calimyrna, stems removed, cut into ½ inch wedges
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Confectioners sugar
- Fresh Fig and Vanilla ice cream (recipe below)
- Combine the butter and 1/3 cup sugar in a large bowl of electric mixer and beat until well combined, about 3 minutes.
- Add 1 cup of the flour and salt and beat on low just until flour is incorporated but the mixture is still dry and crumbly. Remove bowl from mixer and scrap flour from the bottom and edges of the bowl and press into the pastry. The pastry should still be crumbly. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Preheat the oven to 350?F. Lightly butter a 1-1/2 to 2 quart shallow baking dish.
- Combine the peaches and figs in a large bowl; add the lime juice and toss to blend. In a small bowl combine the remaining 2 tablespoons flour and sugar and the cinnamon; stir to blend. Sprinkle over the fruit. Fold gently just to blend without crushing the fruit.
- Spoon fruit into baking dish; spread in even layer. Sprinkle the cold pastry crumbs evenly over the fruit.
- Bake until the top is golden brown and the fruit is bubbly, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool slightly before serving. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar and serve with the ice cream.
Fresh Fig Ice Cream
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Easy, easy, but fun to make and serve.
Ingredients:
- 6 to 8 large figs, any variety, stems trimmed, coarsely chopped
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 to 2 pints good quality vanilla ice cream, softened
- Combine the figs, sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl and toss to blend.
- Scoop the ice cream into the large bowl and with a wooden spoon or a potato masher gently, and quickly, work the figs into the ice cream.
- Serve the now very soft ice cream immediately or freeze until a bit firmer, before serving.
About Marie Simmons, author "Fig Heaven"
Marie Simmons is an award winning cookbook author, a popular cooking teacher, and food writer whose recipes and features have appeared in hundreds of magazines. She was a monthly columnist for Bon Appetit and a Los Angeles Times syndicated columnist for over 15 years. She writes a column, Simmons Sez, for the Bay Area News Group and is a contributing editor to Eating Well Magazine.
Simmons has written over twenty cookbooks including Fig Heaven (William Morrow 2004), The Amazing World of Rice (William Morrow 2003), The Good Egg (Houghton Mifflin 2000) a winner of a James Beard Award, Fresh & Fast (Houghton Mifflin 1996) and Lighter, Quicker, Better, written with Richard Sax (William Morrow 1995) winner of both the Julia Child and James Beard awards. She also wrote A to Z Bar Cookies, A to Z Puddings, A to Z Muffins, and A to Z Pancakes. One of her first cookbooks, 365 Ways to Cook Pasta has over 500,000 copies in print.
Simmons newest book is the best selling Sur La Table's Things Cooks Love: Implements, Ingredients, Recipes (Andrews McMeel 2008), nominated for an IACP best cookbook award in 2008. She is currently working on a new book, Fresh & Fast Vegetarian (Houghton Mifflin 2011).
Simmons makes her home in Richmond, CA where her favorite pastime is cooking for friends and family, because, she claims, "To write about the food I love, I need to touch it first."
Website: http://www.mariesimmons.com
