Fresh Fig & Caramelized Onion Flatbread

April since we posted? Man, we suck. Well, shit happened, but I am back. Cooking for the first time in 2 months and I wanted some damn figs! It's fall, so I found them and I only had to go to 2 stores to get them.

About a summer ago I was at the Plaza, bopping around, wasting time and money with a friend. The sun was blazing and there is really no shade in the middle of all of those expensive-ass stores so we decided to duck into the closest restaurant, which happened to be Seasons 52. They serve stuff that is "inspired by the season" which is hippy nonsense, but the food was delicious. I had a flatbread pizza with fig and arugula and a few other things I can't remember that inspired this recipe.

Flatbread dough (I used this recipe)

Toppings:
Fresh fig, thinly sliced
Baby Kale
Caramelized onions
Brie

Make the flatbread dough first, this is the long part. But you can freeze some of it for later. While the dough is rising or thawing (depending on your pre-planning), caramelize your onions in some butter, and slice your figs. Don't over-cook your onions because they will continue to cook in the oven.

I didn't use exactly the ingredients called for, but whatev. It was still ok.

 I also didn't use a food processor or a mixer with a dough hook. I'm a rebel.

Preheat the oven to 450. If you have a pizza stone, good for you.

Roll out the dough on a piece of parchment (on a baking sheet if no stone) for easy transfer to the oven. I actually used my hands to pat it out, it didn't really require a roller.

Then I cut thin slices of room temp brie and placed them on the crust and covered them with about 1/2 the onions. Then I piled on the fig slices and kale, alternatingly... yes, this is a word... and then finished with the rest of the onions.

Pop the whole thing in the oven for 15-18 minutes, until the crust is a lovely brown.

Awesomeness! I was worried that the crust wouldn't crisp up under the weight of the toppings, but no problem at all.

You want to eat it right now don't you? I don't blame you. It is beautiful. It could have even used more of each of the toppings piled on. This crust was a little thick, maybe a roller would have helped...

Preserved Meyer Lemons

I picked up a bag of Meyer lemons the other day at the grocery store because they looked absolutely beautiful and I couldn't pass them up. I had never eaten one raw, and I highly recommend it... if you enjoy lemons otherwise. I love eating wedges of lemon and these are just a little sweeter version. My bag had about 7 of them so I wanted to find a couple other uses then just eating them straight. I did some Googling and found some articles on preserving lemons and how easy it was, so I decided to give it a shot.

Get yourself a jar that seals well, some kosher salt and your lemons. Cut a bit off each end of the lemon and then quarter them. Put a little salt in the bottom of the jar and cover the wedges in the salt as well. Cram those suckers in there, so much so that some of the juice squeezes out. Make sure that when the jar is full that there is enough juice to cover all the lemons, and add more juice if not.

Seal it up and label the date you crammed them, because now you have to wait 3 whole weeks to use them! Leave them on the counter for a couple days and then put them in the fridge for the rest of the 3 weeks. Flip the jar upside down every once in a while.

I read several places that you are supposed to discard the flesh and then only use the rind once they are preserved, but I say, hey, need salt and lemons in a recipe, use that part. After those 3 weeks, lemon it up to your hearts content! I used some to make a fish tagine that was... interesting, though I don't think the interestingness was the fault of the lemons.

Lemon Brownies

Ew... Lemon brownies? There is no cocoa in them, and therefore they are not brown, but they are the consistency of brownies so I don't really have a better name.

Does anybody know where those random recipes that pop up on facebook come from? That is where I found this recipe and it was like a little bit of magic fell from the facebook abyss. Lemon is one of my favorite flavors of almost everything. It goes on my list of things that you add to a dish that needs a little something extra (lemon, garlic, onion or avocado).

Ingredients
1/2 c butter
3/4 c flour
3/4 c sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 tbsp lemon zest
2 tbsp lemon juice

Glaze
1 c powdered sugar
4 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350 and grease an 8x8 pan.

Beat first 4 ingredients together in a large bowl, and whisk the next 3 ingredients together in a small bowl, and then add the small bowl to the large and beat until smooth. Pour into pan and bake for 23-25 minutes, edges should be golden brown and center solid but moist.

Whisk the glaze ingredients together (definitely use a whisk, a fork didn't do the job). When the brownies are done and completely cool, pour the glaze over the top. It should set up if left uncovered, and I love that. I love hardened icing.

These have a super-strong lemon flavor, it is not subtle at all. For me, they are absolutely delicious! I used the zest of two whole lemons between the brownie and the glaze, and I think it was about the right amount. I juiced the two lemons, intending the use it in the recipe and then proceeded to spill that fresh squeezed juice all over myself. I was pissed. So instead I used bottled lemon juice and it was just fine.

I really want to try these in both lime and orange and see if they are just as good. I think they might be. Then I could have rainbow brownies! Oooh... I am giving myself even more ideas!