01 Sep Fig of My Heart
Can you feel that? It’s the first hint of a refreshing fall breeze, awakening our senses to kick into overdrive as we happily return to the kitchen. I become giddy when that air hits me, as I suddenly feel alive again after months of humidity and stale air conditioning. Most importantly (thank heaven, earth and the Lucky Charms elf), it is back-to-school time, so the neighborhood has returned to its sublime state of quiet. It’s almost enough to make me put away the slingshot, though the birds are getting a bit chatty.
Our thoughts this month have turned to figs in their autumnal splendor, and there is little wonder that Adam and Eve chose the leaves of such a beloved fruit to cover their delicate parts. The seductive fig is the taste of Eden itself, if you ask me.
My taste memory holds a special place for these little beauties, as my father’s carefully nurtured fig tree graced our table with its bounty throughout my childhood. He crafted a little corner of Italy in our back yard, complete with grapevine, fig and pitch trees. (Those are peach trees to you and me.)
Though the grapes and pitches didn’t produce ideal fruit, the figs were marvelous. Each winter my mother would carefully cover the tree’s branches with socks, then wrap the whole thing in burlap and tarp to protect it from the cold; I suppose we should have named it, given its status as the eighth child in our family. Sadly, when the tree was moved so we could put in the pool, it never again took root. To this day my mother insists the fig tree was insulted, and given her garden prowess I’ve chosen not to argue. Plus, she’s keeping my lemongrass plant alive, so I don’t want to provoke her.
We’ve also returned to our fall topic of cheese as September’s Indulgence, and as the entertaining season is upon us, our Test Kitchen dossier for the second half of the month will focus on that wonder of the table, the cheese course. When done well, it elevates any meal to a state of elegance, so we shall arm you with all you need to know. Until then we are reveling in a figgy frenzy, including the dessert in this month’s dinner party menu, so prepare your senses for a taste of early autumn.
In short order we shall also reveal our holiday gift collection in the Gilded Fork Boutique, and we’ve assembled enough wonderful treats that you need look no further for your gourmet gift shopping. We’ve even got options for edge-loving brownie eaters and non-, so how’s that for thorough? Don’t forget to sign up for our Gilded Select™ newsletter, because we’ll be including special offers in our weekly mailings from now through December. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
We’re also delighted to formally welcome wine writer Lenn Thompson to our masthead. If you’ve been following Lenn’s blog, LENNDEVOURS, you know that he’s been dabbling in New York wines for quite some time, and he’s now writing for a number of wine publications, so we’re grateful for his participation. Lenn will be our resident pairing advisor for the Mise en Place menu each month, so never again shall you be left wondering what on earth to serve with your meal. With Alder, Lenn and Damian here to quench your beverage curiosities, we hope you’ll find helpful tips and insights to further your liquid education.
Now get that apron on, because it’s time to get back into the kitchen!