Blue Cayenne

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Fresh Figs

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Ingredients

• 4 small sweet potatoes (about 2 1/4 pounds)
• 5 T. olive oil
• 3 T. balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 T. superfine sugar
• 12 green onions (halved lengthwise and cut into 1 1/2 inch segments)
• 1 red chile (thinly sliced)
• 6 ripe figs (quartered)
• 5 ounces soft goat's milk cheese (optional)
• Large-flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (Maldon salt would be perfect!)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Halve sweet potatoes length-wise and then cut each half into three long wedges. Toss cut sweet potatoes in 3 T. olive oil, 2 t. salt and freshly-ground black pepper. Arrange the sweet potatoes (skin side down) on a baking sheet and bake for approximately 25 minutes. You want the baked sweet potatoes to be soft but not mushy. Remove from your oven and let the sweet potatoes cool.
2. Prepare the balsamic reduction by combining the balsamic vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan. It is good to use superfine sugar (I gave granulated a blitz in my blender.), but regular granulated sugar will work here. Heat the balsamic mixture until it boils and the sugar is dissolved and then lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer the balsamic for 2 to 4 minutes. You want it to thicken but still be about the consistency of honey. Keep in mind that the balsamic reduction will thicken as it cools; you want it to be pourable. If your reduction becomes too thick as it cools, you can add a bit of water to thin it.
3. Arrange the sweet potato slices on a platter. Use a large serving platter for this dish. I used a large white platter to make the colors in this dish pop.
4. Heat the remaining 2 T. olive oil in a pan and fry the green onions and chile in the hot oil for 4 or 5 minutes. Stir this mixture while you are frying to be sure the onions and the chile do not burn. Spoon the oil and the fried onions and chile over the sweet potatoes. Arrange the halved fresh figs on top of the sweet potatoes. Drizzle the balsamic reduction over the sweet potatoes and figs. Crumbled goat cheese is an optional topping for this dish. I omitted the cheese but think it would be a great addition.
5. Serve this dish at room temperature.

Nutrition

Calories

2300 cal

Fat

99 g

Carbs

342 g

Protein

46 g

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Jalapeno Cheddar Bread

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Ingredients

• 3 1/2 C. bread flour
• 2 1/2 C. shredded sharp cheddar cheese (divided)
• 2 jalapeno chiles (seeded and coarsely chopped)
• 1 jalapeno (seeded ad sliced into rings, divided)
• 1 T. kosher salt
• 2 C. warm water (105-110 degrees F.)
• 2 1/4 t. instant yeast
• 1 T. olive oil

Instructions

1. Combine bread flour, 2 C. cheddar cheese, chopped jalapeno chiles and salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir to evenly distribute the ingredients. Set aside.
2. In a separate large bowl, combine the warm water (105-110 degrees F.) and the yeast. Stir and let sit for a few minutes.
3. Pour the flour mixture on top of the yeast and water mixture. Stir with a silicone spatula until all ingredients are thoroughly combined and the dough begins to come together into a ball. Your dough will be moist and shaggy when it is properly mixed. Once your dough is mixed, use your hands (wet) or a spatula to fold the dough (still in the bowl) about 8 times. You do this by folding one side of the dough over the rest of the dough and toward the center; you are folding the dough into a slightly tighter ball--a boule. Turn the bowl as you do this so that all parts of the dough are folded. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let it rest (and rise) in a warm place for about an hour. At the end of your rise, the dough should have almost doubled in size. ( If you are at all confused about the folding process, you can find a very good video showing these steps by following the link that appears at under this recipe.)
4. Remove the cover from the risen dough and repeat the folding (8 more folds/8 more turns of the bowl). Again, cover the dough. This time let it rise for about 30 minutes.
5. While your dough is rising for the second time, put a Dutch oven (including the lid) into your oven and turn the oven to 450 degrees F. (Place the Dutch oven on a low rack in your oven.) Let your oven preheat for about 30 minutes.
6. Prepare a work surface by lightly flouring it. (I used my Corian counter.) Flour your hands, too. Remove the dough from the bowl (I used a bench scraper for this but wet hands would work equally well). Do this carefully so that you don't totally deflate the dough. Once you have your dough out of the bowl and sitting on the lightly-floured counter, flip it over. This "flip" will make the dough easier to handle because your hands will be touching the side of the dough that has picked up some of the flour you sprinkled on your counter. Fold the dough towards the center 8 more times. Flip the dough oven again, placing it on a rectangular strip of parchment paper. The parchment paper will be used to keep the dough from sticking to the bottom of the Dutch oven and it will also be used to lift the dough into the hot Dutch oven without burning your hands. (Use the ends of the parchment strips like handles.) Brush the top of the dough with olive oil and gently press the remaining 1/2 C. of cheese onto top of the loaf. Use a sharp knife or a razor blade (I used the razor blade) to carve an "X" on top of the loaf. The "X" will allow the steam to escape from the dough as it is baking and will allow the dough to fully rise. Arrange the jalapeno rings on top of the cheese.
7. Using heat-resistant gloves, carefully remove the hot Dutch oven from your oven and set it somewhere on your counter where the heat from the bottom of the Dutch oven will not damage anything. I usually put my Dutch oven on top of my heavy cutting board with a towel on top of the cutting board to give the cutting board some protection. Grab the two ends of the parchment strip on which you have placed your dough boule and lower the dough into the Dutch oven. Cover the Dutch oven with its lid and put it into the oven. Bake covered at 450 degrees F. for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the lid from the Dutch oven. (This is the fun part! The reveal! Your bread will have risen nicely and will be beginning to brown.) Put the Dutch oven (uncovered) back into the oven and bake for another 20-25 minutes or until the bread has turned a pretty golden brown. When done, the bread should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
8. Remove the Dutch oven from your oven and set it on a heat-resistant surface. Again, use the parchment "handles" to safely remove the bread from the Dutch oven. Allow the bread to cool on a rack before cutting it. The steam trapped inside the bread will continue to cook the bread further as it cools. Do not slice the bread until it has cooled. For ease in slicing, use a serrated knife.

Nutrition

Calories

2950 cal

Fat

111 g

Carbs

358 g

Protein

117 g

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Fig Tart

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Ingredients

For the Crust
• 1 1/4 C. unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 C. cornmeal
• 1/4 t. sea salt
• 1/4 t. freshly-ground black pepper
• 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter (cold, cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
• 1/4 to 1/3 C. ice water
For the Fig Filling
• 1 pound mission figs (sliced into quarters)
• 1/4 pound gorgonzola or goat cheese or a combination (mashed)
• 2 t. fresh oregano leaves (plus a sprig for the garnish)
• 2 T. honey (plus more for garnish)
• 2 T. olive oil
• Cracked black pepper
• 1 egg and a bit of water for egg wash

Instructions

1. Make the tart crust. Add flour, cornmeal, salt and pepper to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse once or twice until the ingredients are mixed. Add the butter cubes and pulse until the butter cubes are the size of large peas. Sprinkle ice water into the mixture one tablespoon at a time, pulsing with each water addition. When large clumps of dough form and the dough holds together, transfer the dough from the processor bowl to a lightly-floured surface. Shape the dough into a ball and then into a 6-inch wide disk. Refrigerate the disk for at least 30 minutes before you roll it into a crust.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. and place the rack on the lower third of the oven. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or use a silicone mat.
3. Prepare the filling while your dough chills and the oven heats. Slice figs into quarters. Chop oregano. Put honey, olive oil, and pepper into a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
4. Spread flour on your working surface. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and roll it out into a 12-14 inch wide and 1/8-1/4 inch thick round. As you are rolling the dough, turn it and flip it being sure to keep the surface on which you are rolling the dough well floured so that your dough won't stick. If you are preparing this on a hot day and your dough gets too warm and soft, put it into the refrigerator for a few minutes and then resume rolling. When you have rolled the dough into the correct size, roll it around your rolling pin and transfer the dough to the prepared parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate the dough for about 10-15 minutes before proceeding.
5. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and spread (or sprinkle) cheese evenly across the bottom of the crust. Arrange the fig quarters in concentric circles on top of the cheese, leaving a 1 1/2 inch border empty all around the crust. (The number of figs you will use will, of course, vary depending upon the size of the figs. You may have more fig quarters than you can use on the tart.) Sprinkle the chopped oregano leaves across the top of the tart. Drizzle the olive oil and honey mixture over the top of the tart. Brush the edges of the tart dough with the egg wash. Fold the border of the crust up around the figs. Leave the center open. Bake in a 400 degree F. oven for 40-45 minutes until the crust is a light golden brown. Check the tart several times while cooking it to see if the crust is browning evenly. (Use a spatula to lift up the edges of the tart to inspect its bottom for browning.)
6. When your tart is properly baked, remove it from the oven. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool for about 15 minutes. Drizzle more honey over the top of the tart before serving. Garnish with a sprig of fresh oregano.
7. (Cook's Note: The tart can be reheated in a 350 degree F. oven for about 5 minutes to re-crisp the crust.)

Nutrition

Calories

2731 cal

Fat

65 g

Carbs

482 g

Protein

61 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info