These Golden Hours

by fig + fauna farm on 06/27/12

These golden hours are ours for the taking.   

//PHOTOS BY ROSE E. MARTIN        

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Watermelon & Fig Granita

by fig + fauna farm on 06/22/12

There are few things that taste more like summer than watermelon. I still see such a vivid picture in my mind of my mother's first homegrown watermelon. She stood so proud, holding the melon by the end of the vine, like it was a prize that she'd won. Deciding whether it made a "thump" or a "thud" would make or break what seemed like the longest wait on earth for a slice of juicy watermelon.

These days, we've had a feast of watermelon with almost every meal - perfectly accommodated by natures rhythm to give something so juicy during this heat. Isn't that amazing? Our needs can always been met by what the soil gives us.I can still feel the sun in my skin long after I come inside and begin to cook dinner, so I look for something to deeply cool me from within.

//PHOTOS BY ROSE E MARTIN// 

Like my mother's precious watermelon, my prize grows on our fig tree. Each morning we check on the ripeness of the largest fruits that still hang from the branches. We enjoy the slow harvest that gives just a fig or two a day, the perfect slightly sweet snack.

"Give a kiss to the figs that aren't ripe yet", I tell Dane as I water the tree. I know those kisses make the figs taste even sweeter.

 

WATERMELON & FIG GRANITA

You will need:

• 5-6 cups of cubed watermelon (approx 1" cubes)
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1-2 tbsp honey
• 2-3 figs, skinned
  

Put all ingredients in a blender until pureed and frothy. Pour the liquid into a 10" x 10" metal pan and place in the freezer. After one hour, run over the ice with a fork, scraping it into small pieces. Repeat after another hour or two until ice is light and fluffy. Cover with wrap and keep in the freezer until ready to serve.

Serves 4

 

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Tomato & Polenta Pie

by fig + fauna farm on 06/19/12

At noon on any summer day, there's a certain silence that sweeps across our pastures. It's a livestock siesta and no better time to enjoy the peacefulness of the sun and swaying pines around us. Dane and I think of a savory snack to bring to the breeziest spot on the farm - under the shade of our oldest oak tree.

This season we've collected cherry tomatoes by the buckets - sauces, sun dried and salsa has been happening a lot in my kitchen, but there's nothing like the smell of roasting a tray of fresh picked tomatoes.

/// PHOTOS BY ROSE E MARTIN 

This simple pie has a cheesy polenta base that feeds my love for the taste of southern grits. I top it with bright, tart roasted tomatoes - although a variety of garden vegetables could be roasted or sauteed for a satisfying topping.

TOMATO & POLENTA PIE

You will need:

• 9 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 - 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp herbs (basil, thyme, oregano), chopped
• evoo, drizzle
• sea salt/pepper, sprinkled

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients (except polenta) and spread out on a large baking tray. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until lightly carmalized and fragrant. Prepare polenta while tomatoes roast in the oven.

The polenta base

• 3 cups dry polenta/corn grits
• 3 tbsp butter
• 6 cups water
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan or Fontina Cheese

2. In a medium saucepan, bring water and sea salt to a boil. Add polenta to the water one cup at a time, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring the mixture with a long handled spoon, to prevent it from clumping.When polenta is thick, stir in butter and cheese.

3. Spoon polenta into a greased 9" pie pan and smooth out. Top with the roasted tomato mixture and bake in oven at 350 degrees for five minutes.

Serves 6

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