Eat Local Challenge, day 20

Today's theme may be re-visited before the month is out, as it's a work in progress. Since late spring, I've been watching the fig tree in the yard pop up figs. After a couple of months of straight out teasing, we started picking 5-6 a day. What with it being the first of the season, most were eaten straight off the tree or shared with interested friends. I've been thinking of things I want to make with them since the first leaf showed up!


And then the figs stopped. They were all still there on the tree, but the growing and the ripening stopped. Taking a rest?  Not enough water?  I waited a bit ... still nothing. So I watered, which of course brought the rains, and now the figs are growing once more.  


The harvest is still in the 2-3 per day range, not quite enough to make full batches of any of the figgy delights dancing in my head, but good for testing, so I shall test.

One of the first things I thought about when I saw the first figs was a nice little tart with local chevre. Over the course of the season, and with this Eat Local Challenge, the 'recipe' as it is, has been evolving even before the first test. Once I get a few more out, I'll share the final recipe to save you extraneous narratives on which versions might result in this, that, or the other.


This is 'take 2' of the fig tart:

The crust is an olive oil/rosemary tart (Theros unrefined olive oil* and fresh rosemary from the garden). It's topped with some OakMoon chevre and the garden figs, with a drizzle of aged balsamic from The Tree & Vine (*also where Theros unrefined olive oil is available). I just found out I can get the organic Carolina grown whole wheat at my co-op, so I'll try a version with that, although it may make it even more rustic, I can't resist trying for as local a recipe list as possible.


I still have another crust variation I want to try that may produce a lighter result, but I rather like this one for all its very basic charms.


Now if the tree will start popping more figs at once, I may make a full-size version. Then again, I'm really enjoying my mini's (and it's a lot easier to share!).