Luscious Fig Balsamic Jam

Even though they look dainty and beautiful, don't be deceived: figs are a very powerful fruit.
Not only do they make you feel elegant and slightly exotic when you eat them, but also they can transform any other food they touch into something sumptuous.

Sadly, figs are around for only a brief time in the grocery stores out here in California (late August-September). Even less out on that other, more east coast. The obvious solution: make fig jam! Better yet: make fig balsamic jam!
I have been wanting to make this fig balsamic jam recipe from Ad Hoc at Home since I got the book in December. Those were 9 very long months. And 9 very long months worth the wait.

This jam is lush, there is no better way to put it.
It has this gorgeous, round, deep sweetness from the figs, but then there are also these whisps of smokiness and ash. Simply luscious!

What do you have balsamic fig jam with, you ask. It is to die for with anything savory, especially with rosemary olive oil bread and any kind of meat. But, as long as it is used in measured quantities, it will take a regular cheese plate and turn it into a gourmet cheese plate. I happen to also like it on plain old toast, and... I'll admit it, simply off a spoon.

It was easy to make. As long as you have some good figs,
you are in business.

Start by chopping up your figs. I quartered them, but next time an even smaller chop would be better.
(Gorgeous!)

In the meantime, since this is a Thomas Keller recipe after all, time for a peppercorn sachet.

You don't really get the peppercorn flavor in the end product, but it helps make your jam have an ever more deep, rich, and complex flavor.

Now, get your figs in a Dutch oven.
Add some sugar.
Next: a crucial ingredient:
I think what takes this jam and turns it lush is the mix of balsamic and fig. They were simply meant to be together.
Stir that all up, and add your sachet.
Simmer it all together, and break up the bigger chunks of fig, but leave smaller chunks. This jam is meant to have some gorgeous, identifiable bits of fig in it.
Cook until your jam can pass the plate test and registers 215-220 degrees.
Once it is done, remove from the heat, remove the sachet, and add a squeeze of lemon to balance out the sweetness.
Get it into jars, process, and you have a secret weapon in your refrigerator and pantry that will turn everything you add it to into gold.
Enjoy being lush!

Fig Balsamic Jam (from Ad Hoc at Home)
2 pounds of figs, preferably Black Mission or Kadota, stems removed and coarsely chopped*
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon black peppercorns, tied into a sachet
Fresh lemon juice

Combine the figs, sugar, balsamic vinegar, and sachet into a large sauce pan and attach a candy thermometer to the pan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and soak, stirring to break up the larger pieces of fig, keeping a chunky consistency, until the jam reaches 215 to 220 degrees.** Remove from the heat.

Remove the sachet and stir in lemon juice to taste. Spoon the jam into a canning jar or other storage container, cover, and let cool to room temperature, the refrigerate for up to 1 month.

Makes 2 1/2 cups.

*This time I quartered them, but I think do a slightly finer chop would be better in the long run.
**I like using the plate test to check for jelling.

Roasted Balsamic Carrots

Remember my father's garden?
Well, this is how it looks in September. All fall colors and 100 pound pumpkins.

But, believe me, it is still chalk full of goodies.
Pulling up carrots in the garden is one of my favorite activities, and it has been as long as I can remember. I mean you start pulling on this green stuff surrounded by dirt, and all of a sudden:
Voila!

Not only is pulling up carrots enjoyable, I think carrots might be one of the most underestimated vegetables. People think they are fine as far as carrots go, but rarely do people think of them as impressive or delicious. But, just look at them: something this gorgeous has to be delicious.
The key to unlocking the potential in carrots involves giving them a little extra love. Do things to bring out their natural sweetness: pair them with flavors that suit them, like balsamic, orange, or thyme; and choose a method that gives them a little extra time to sweeten up. I like roasting them, with that high heat, they get almost caramelized.

This go round, I roasted the carrots and tossed them with balsamic, and I am telling you, this dish is one of the best things I have ever made.

To make them, as ever with roasting, two things are important. First, cut the carrots evenly, so they roast at the same rate. Second, get the carrots in one layer on a baking sheet. If you crowd them or layer them on top of each other, they will steam, and not roast. Which means that the outside will not get crisp and golden, just mushy.
(I threw in some garden picked new potatoes as well).

Toss them with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Pop them in the oven for 45-50 minutes, until they are beginning to look charred.
Pull them out, and immediately toss with a splash of balsamic vinegar, a little salt, and a little pepper. Let them sit for a few minutes,
and these will get you rethinking the everything you knew about carrots.

Roasted Balsamic Carrots
Carrots, peeled and cut into even pieces*
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 425. Arrange carrots in one layer on a baking sheet. Toss with salt, pepper, and a light coating of olive oil. Roast for 45-60 minutes, depending on the size of the carrots, until beginning to look slightly charred. Stir occasionally.

Remove from the oven into a separate bowl. Add a splash of balsamic, salt, and pepper.** Let sit for a few minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

*Since I had smaller carrots, I cut them into match-stick like pieces. But, there is nothing wrong with bigger chunks of carrots, they will just take more like an hour to roast than 45 minutes.
**You can also add another splash of olive oil if you want.

Pork Chops with Balsamic-Rosemary Reduction

Even writing the title of this dish makes my mouth water a little bit.
I have never cooked pork chops before, so I thought it was about time I gave it a try. I think pork chops are in a state of distress these days, especially the ones that are boneless. They have become so lean that they are absolutely uninteresting. Listen, you need fat on pork chops, that is what makes them taste good. Now, bone in chops fare a bit better, because they have more marbelling, which is what you want. (As you can see, the top one is better than the bottom one, but both still trump a boneless chop).
And if you maximize on the fat that the chop does have, as this recipe lets you do, then you are in for a pork chop revelation.

In picking a recipe for these chops, I was irresistibly drawn towards Jamie Oliver. Big shock, I know. But, what can I say, the man knows how to cook.

For his pork chops, Mr. Oliver has you cut 1 inch slits along the outer layer of fat on your chop. This way, as the pork chop cooks, all that fat will melt and keep the pork chop really nice and juicy. And, in the end, you will have an almost cracklin' like edge around the outside.
After you have cut into the chop, cooking it is a cinch. It takes one oven-proof skillet and about 15 minutes. In your skillet, add some olive oil over high heat. Once the oil is sizzling, add your prepared pork chops.
Let that sizzle away for about 3 minutes, flip them, and make sure you have a nice golden color going.
Then pop them in the oven for 10 minutes. C'est tout for the pork chops.
In the meantime, I decided that I wanted to dress the chops up a little bit. I had some rosemary on hand, and I always have balsamic, so I decided to try my hand at a balsamic reduction. The timing was perfect, as the reduction takes 10 minutes, the amount of time the pork chops need to cook. It is really so easy. Add some balsamic, a couple of sprigs of rosemary, salt, and pepper to a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and let boil gently for about 10 minutes, or until reduced by half.
Remove from heat, add a bit of butter to make it nice and silky.
And there you have it, a gorgeous, easy balsamic reduction.
Just as the reduction was finished, I removed the chops from the oven. Drizzled the balsamic reduction over them. Served it with some roasted asparagus and mashed sweet potatoes, and it was one fabulous meal!

Pork Chops with Balsamic-Rosemary Reduction (adapted from Cook with Jamie and Jamie at Home)
For the pork chops:
Ingredients:
2 bone-in pork chops
salt and freshly ground black pepper
olive oil

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400. Lay the pork chops on your cutting board, and using a sharp knife, make 1-inch-deep cuts all along the fatty side of them. It helps to render the fat out and will make the skin crispy. Sprinkle the chops with salt and pepper.

Pour a glug of olive oil into a hot oven proof pan. Carefully place your chops in it and cook them for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. If you need to, open out the little pieces of fat along the edge so they don't stick together.

When the chops are nearly done and have a nice golden color, flip them over and put them in the oven for 10 minutes. (Lynne Rossetto Kasper from the Splendid Table recommends pork should achieve an internal temperature of 150).

Let rest for a few minutes, and serve with reduction (below).

For the Balsamic-Rosemary Reduction:
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar
1-2 sprigs of rosemary
a pinch of salt and pepper
1 Tablespoon of butter

Directions:
Bring the balsamic, rosemary, salt, and pepper to a gentle boil in a sauce pan. Let that boil for 10 minutes or so, until the balsamic has reduced by half. Remove from heat and add the butter.

Pour over pork, chicken, vegetables, or just about anything you like.