Fresh Approach Cooking

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Question of the day: do you like to cook with figs?

As you can tell from the last few weeks, (if you are a return reader I should say. If not, just scroll on down, the evidence is there in glorious technicolor) I have been really taking advantage of the seasons bounty and made quite a few fig-tastic treats. This idea I came up with using the last of my rare little jewels, the honey-like Calimyrna fig.

I started with a recommendation from another (beautiful, and fantastically well-written) site, The Traveller's Lunchbox, well, it was more like a launching point than a recommendation really. As with most recipes, I usually see a title that sounds good, and pretty much go my own way from there. I don't always want to follow the directions so much as feel my way through, which is how I ended up with this fig and vinegar chicken. It took about sixteen minutes from start to finish (reduction of the vinegar took up most of the time) and as we devoured it, and the sweet and lucious juices ran down our chins, we were reminded how glorious food really can be. Try it, and enjoy!


1/2 cup raspberry vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar or honey
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 small onion, sliced thick
2 inch branch of fresh rosemary
6 -8 figs, sliced in half
black pepper and salt to taste
olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin





In a small sauce pan, combine the vinegar, sugar, raisins, onions and rosemary over medium-high heat. Reduce by half. (About 10 minutes) Remove the rosemary branch, add the figs, reduce the heat and continue to cook while you prepare the chicken.

In a large skillet, heat your oil until shimmering. Add the chicken breasts and don't fuss with them for 4 minutes. After four minutes, turn over cook until done (about another three minutes, but that also depends on the thickness of the chicken and the heat of your flame). Remove from the heat, and serve with the fig reduction.

Makes two servings.

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Chicken Farmers of Nova Scotia Canada produce more than 43 million kilograms of chicken each year. That's more than 20 million chickens

There are 2800 chicken farms in Canada

In Vermont, there are about 12 vineyards and more being planned. Apparently, the hot and dry summer they just had was ideal for grape growing. The heat caused the grapes to produce more sugar as they ripened. And a near average rainfall reduced the chances for fruit rot, a constant challenge of growing grapes. -Boston.com

Did you post your version of Short Ribs with Celery Duo for The (Second) Really Big Cook-Off? I hope you will!

Labels: Chicken