EXPERIMENTING with FIGUES in FRANCE

   We went back to France two weeks ago to spend another lovely holiday in my brother's old farmhouse near Toulouse.  At this time of the year the figues on his figue trees around the farmhouse are ripe and we ate figues from morning till evening. 

   There were blue ones and green ones --hundreds of them, and we were not the only ones to enjoy them.  In fact, we had to be careful while picking them as so many hornets and other insects also seemed to enjoy them.  One day Dieter decided to bake a tarte aux figues.

   You can buy the thin layers of Pâte Brisée in every supermarket in France, but Eileen is including her favorite French recipe. 

                                 DIETER'S TARTE AUX FIGUES

   We did not peel the figues, but cut them into slices and fried them with butter in a pan for just a few minutes, adding a little sugar and water.  Then Dieter spread them on the layer of dough, added some black grapes and pieces of walnuts--all from the garden.  Finally the tarte was put into the oven and baked at a very high temperature (Eileen suggests 425˚ F on the lower rack of the oven) for about 20-25 minutes.  The result was fantastic!  It just took four people a few minutes to finish it.  I tried it with a little creme frâiche and that was delicious.
   You can make a similar dessert without dough and cook the figues a little longer.  It makes a great dessert!

                                            PÂTE BRISÉE
                   adapted from French Tarts by Linda Dannenberg

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons ice water

   Combine the flour, butter, and salt in the bowl of a food processor.  Process 10 - 12 seconds, until the mixture has a dry, crumbly texture.  Add the water to the mixture and pulse 12 to 14 times, just until the dough begins to hold together in a mass, but before it turns into a ball.  (The crust can become tough if it is processed even a few seconds too long.)
   Remove the dough from the bowl, then transfer it to a sheet of plastic wrap.  Flatten the dough into a smooth disk, wrap, and refrigerate for at least  one hour before rolling.  (You can make this dough ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.)
                                   Makes one 12-inch crust