Figs are back, Hooray!

Walking home from work the other day I spotted figs at the corner fruit stand....I was exstatic! I've been waiting since October for fig season to be here, and finally it's here! HOORAY! See I only became a fan of figs this past October when my mom bought a bunch for the Jewish holidays but I only actually tasted one during the holiday of Sukkot, which is the last of the holidays.

Once I decided I loved the taste of figs it was too late and there were gone for the season. So I've basically been dreaming of eating a fig for a long while now....you can probably guess how excited I was to see them at the stand on the corner!

The ones the guy at the fruit stand was selling were kind of mushy, so I thought I'd skip buying them there and visit the supermarket to see if they had any...NOPE, they didn't. My next move was the World Wide Web. Freshdirect is a great resource for finding seasonal fruit and vegetables that are not always sold in your good old supermarket. I was so excited to order them, along with a bunch of other stuff!

I think I'll eat some for breakfast and the others I thought to make a brie and fig mac and cheese, just like the one they make at S'mac in the east village, NYC. But then I came across this recipe and it seemed better suited for me. The S'mac version recipe that I found online uses shitake mushrooms and rosemary and in my opinion those two ingredients just don't fit into the puzzle for me! Sorry S'mac! Anyway stay tuned for the results, meanwhile I'm enjoying my figs, plain and simple!

Truffle & Herb Mac and Cheese

The last time I made macaroni and cheese was on Valentine's Day. I had tried something new. I normally always just follow Ina Garten's recipe for mac and cheese but that day I tweaked it just a bit by adding white truffle butter to the roux and to the bread crumbs that topped the mac.

It's been a few months and it's time for another dose of mac and cheese! This time I'm going to change it even further. I've been to restaurants where they prepare a herb mac and cheese and it's usually good. I'm going to kick it up another notch, sorry I had to say that, by adding in some herbs and garlic.

Remember a few days back I posted a recipe for potatoes?? Well, I am going to use the greeen garlicky herb oil with the addition of 1 tablespoon chopped basil and add it to the cheese sauce before I add the cooked macaroni. I think it's going to be super delicious!!! Just in case it's not as delicious as I think it sounds, I decided to make two separate mac and cheeses. I made one small ramekin of the herbed mac and cheese and then made a bigger one of the regular truffle mac and cheese that I always make, I know that one would be good. As for you weird people who don't like green foods, I know a couple of you folks, yes you....just omit adding the green garlicky herb oil and your mac and cheese should turn out green-free!

After eating the ramekin of the mac and cheese with the herbs it is safe to say that it's my new favorite. It's a more mature macaroni and cheese, for us adults. The mixture of truffles and garlic gives the dish a fantastic aroma and taste. Serve this meal along with an arugula and tomato salad and it is sure to be a hit!

Here's the recipe...

Truffle & Herb Mac and Cheese

(serves 8 people)

1 pound elbow macaroni

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, separated

2 tablespoons white truffle butter

½ cup flour

1 quart skim milk

Salt and pepper, to taste

8oz shredded sharp Cheddar

12oz shredded gruyere cheese

1 cup green garlicky herb oil (with basil added)

1 ½ cups bread crumbs

Cook the macaroni in boiling water for about 10 minutes until tender but still firm. Drain well and set aside.

In a deep skillet, melt 6 tablespoons butter (5 tbsp unsalted and 1 tbsp truffle butter) over medium heat. Add the flour to make a roux and cook, stirring, to remove any lumps.

Pour in the milk and cook until the mixture is thick and smooth. Season mixture with salt and pepper. Add in the green garlicky herb oil. Off the heat, stir in both cheeses and stir until melted. Add the cooked macaroni and stir until macaroni is well coated.

Melt the remaining butter (1 tbsp unsalted and 1 tbsp truffle butter) and combine with the breadcrumbs, sprinkle on top of macaroni.

Transfer the mixture to a 3-quart baking dish. Preheat the over to 350 degrees. Bake for about 20-30 minutes until hot and bubbly.