Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

Posted in Food & Friends | Tagged celeriac, Eveleigh Markets, lustre potatoes, saltbush lamb, truffle eggs, wet garlic | 37 Comments

37 Responses

1. on September 7, 2011 at 12:11 am Tandy

   I just love truffles and wish we had brought back more from Italy with us! Enjoy the saltbush lamb :) PS, thanks for the salt article link, it was interesting reading :)

   
   
   • on September 7, 2011 at 6:30 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

     Tandy, the lamb was delicious – not at all salty, which I guess makes sense if I’d thought about it sensibly – but rather tender and flavoursome! :)

     
     
2. on September 7, 2011 at 12:37 am heidi

   So- does the truffle flavor the eggs?
   That celeriac made my mouth water and I have to admit – it is so clean and fresh I was a bit envious. I usually have to buy it a little weathered and dried up- slightly worse for the time it has spent in a crate awaiting my arrival!
   And your risotto looks fantastic!

   
   
   • on September 7, 2011 at 6:31 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

     Heidi, it imparted a very subtle flavour to the eggs – I think I was probably a little overambitious about just how much oomph the baby truffle was going to have. :)

     I’ve never seen celeriac like that either – it was amazingly fresh!

     
     
3. on September 7, 2011 at 12:45 am Kate

   I’m curious – why keep it in a jar of eggs?

   I’ve heard truffle oil is supposed to add a bit of magic to dishes, but I’ve never been able to find any. Did your baby truffle transform your risotto?

   
   
   • on September 7, 2011 at 6:33 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

     Kate, the truffle is meant to infuse the eggs with truffle aroma, and ours did a little, although as I said to Heidi, I think I got a little ambitious with the number of eggs. ;-)

     The truffle’s gift is in its aroma, and our risotto was very truffly indeed! The best truffle oil we’ve found is a French brand, which is infused grapeseed oil rather than olive oil. We’ve found the latter can tend to confuse the truffle flavours.

     
     
4. on September 7, 2011 at 2:08 am ceciliag

   Wow, that was lovely. i have not had truffle in years but I grow celeriac it is a weed in my garden now!!I am going to do a bit of research on the saltbush lamb though.. our lamb is due for the freezer in 6 weeks.. c

   
   
   • on September 7, 2011 at 6:34 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

     Cecilia, really? I told Pete I wanted to grow celeriac, nice to know it can take off! Does it use up a lot of bed space? Thanks…

     
     
5. on September 7, 2011 at 2:20 am theonlycin

   You lucky fish, truffles are on my bucket list, but thin on the ground in my neck of the woods.

   
   
   • on September 7, 2011 at 6:35 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

     Cindy, we’re blessed, they’ve inoculated trees in Tasmania, so they’re now growing down there. It’s still not cheap, the 10g truffle was $25!

     
     
6. on September 7, 2011 at 2:46 am Sally

   Envying that truffle – had some shaved over pasta in about April and still remember the taste (although white truffle prepared by Giorgio Locatelli is still my top truffle experience). Celeriac looks good too!

   
   
   • on September 7, 2011 at 6:36 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

     Sally, anything by Giorgio Locatelli would be an experience! :) I’ve never tried white truffle before…

     
     
7. on September 7, 2011 at 4:04 am Suelle

   Truffle is something I’ve never tasted, but it certainly looks good!

   It sounds like a wonderful market – I wish I lived in a big city when I read posts like this!

   
   
   • on September 7, 2011 at 6:37 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

     Suelle, it’s an amazing market, and sooo expensive! We only go there occasionally as a treat…

     
     
8. on September 7, 2011 at 7:06 am Joanna

   Truffle treasure from Tasmania ! Weight in gold, fortunes, jealousies, bitter fights, trained pigs, oak trees, ah the mystique of the truffle….. I’ve never had a fresh truffle, I wanted to train the dogs but they would rather chase squirrels.

   Thanks so much for the linky. I’m curious though what is saltbush Celia? Does it refer to a particular shrub or is it a habitat, like our salt marshes. There is always the very grand French sort which I think is called Agneau de Pré-salé.

   
   
   • on September 7, 2011 at 7:45 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

     Jo, here’s a bit about the salt bush lamb. It’s not the same as your lamb, but I suspect it’s similar.. :)

     http://www.bultarra.com.au/

     
     
9. on September 7, 2011 at 7:24 am bagnidilucca

   It will be truffle season when I go back to Italy next month. They are found in our area so most restaurants in the village use them a lot. It will also be porcini season, I may even go searching for them. I love the sound of the saltbush lamb, I will look out for it. Your risotto looks fabulous.

   
   
   • on September 7, 2011 at 7:47 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

     Thanks Deb! It must be amazing to live in a village where truffles are so readily available! :)

     
     
10. on September 7, 2011 at 9:04 am Nic@diningwithastud

    So lucky :) I’ve never eaten fresh truffle, only the infused oils, etc. They’re not cheap ;) did she get this one from the markets?

    
    
    • on September 7, 2011 at 12:28 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Thanks Nic, I’m feeling very lucky indeed. :) I think SG said she picked it up in a store in Tasmania..

      
      
11. on September 7, 2011 at 9:25 am spiceandmore

    Aw thanks Celia… I love the way we connect over our passion for “urban foraging” unusual or just plain wonderful food!
    I was over ambitious with the number of eggs I put in the jar with my truffles too. The truffle infused eggs we bought from that deli that sold us the truffles were so incredibly strong, they did not need any extra truffle added to our scrambled eggs.

    Interestingly, one of my truffles still seems to be ‘alive’. They told me in the deli that it would only last for a week (or 2-3 weeks if left cryovacced). I have been meaning to buy some grapeseed oil and try and make some truffle oil.

    BTW – I totally love that Emile Henri pot. It has achieved preferred cooking pot status already! And those bannetons seem to have brought back my sourdough magic. Two sensational loaves on Monday. Thank you, thank you!

    
    
    • on September 7, 2011 at 12:29 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Thanks again, girlfriend, it was a real treat! So glad you love the Emile Henri brasier – it’s just the most wonderful cooking pot! :)

      
      
12. on September 7, 2011 at 12:52 pm cityhippyfarmgirl

    Ahh truffle… I only smelt my first one in Mr M Evan’s shop in Tasmania this year. I think the smell still resides in my chest. Totally unlike any thing else! I still haven’t eaten one though… I want it to be the perfect meal!

    They also grow them in the Southern Highlands if you ever want to source a local one. http://www.bonnestruffes.com.au/index.cfm

    
    
    • on September 7, 2011 at 3:48 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Oooh Brydie, I didn’t know that! Thank you for the headsup!

      
      
13. on September 7, 2011 at 1:38 pm InTolerantChef

    Yum oh Celia! We’ve had some fresh truffles at our local farmers markets too, as they grow a lot around here. I paid $2 a gram and got 7g. I have some in a jar with aborio rice, some chopped into butter and in a roll in the freezer, and some chopped into fresh honey. I’m trying to stretch it out as far as I can! Maybe next year my little truffle tree will have a nugget for me. In the meantime I wrote you an ode based on the nursery rhyme Nut Tree.

    I have a little Truffle Tree
    Nothing would it bear
    But some golden saffron
    growing under there.
    Maybe then Celia,
    will come to visit me,
    All for the sake
    Of my little Truffle Tree.

    
    
    • on September 7, 2011 at 3:49 pm Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      I sang it out loud (and it scared the birds off the garden beds!). :)

      Can’t wait to hear how you go with your truffle, Becca, especially to see how it goes in the rice…

      
      
14. on September 7, 2011 at 8:01 pm Claire @ Claire K Creations

    Yum yum yum! What are you going to do with the eggs? Have you heard of the truffle egg pasta at Buon Ricordo. It would be perfect.

    
    
    • on September 8, 2011 at 5:44 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Claire, the eggs were all scrambled and they were absolutely delicious!

      
      
15. on September 7, 2011 at 10:03 pm Abbington

    Saltbush lamb is great! We get ours from Wellington Lamb. I love the fact that the grazier there converted to saltbush to make his property more sustainable/viable during drought.

    
    
    • on September 8, 2011 at 5:45 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Abb, I was surprised how good it was! We’ve been eating some really great lamb lately – both this one and the lamb we’re getting from Havericks, which is coming from Junee…

      
      
16. on September 7, 2011 at 10:44 pm Melanie

    I’ve never had fresh truffle before, but it sounds like I ought to find some. That does look like some fresh celeriac what with the bright green stem and leaves. I’ve never had any of that either. I’m not sure how to prepare it and I’m not sure what is a good recipe to try it in. It would have to be somewhat disguised though as I’m sure my hubby would turn up his nose. Your risotto looks rich and delicious with that brown hue to it.

    
    
    • on September 8, 2011 at 5:46 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      The celeriac made the most delicious mash, Mel. We combined it with mash potato and it was absolutely moreish. Not a veg we see much around here – we must make a point of growing some.

      
      
17. on September 7, 2011 at 11:05 pm Anna Johnston

    OMG!!!! I’m comin over. I ADORE truffles. Yummo. The egg thing is such a nifty trick, and the shavings on rizzo…. Drooling… All over my keyboard. :)

    
    
    • on September 8, 2011 at 5:47 am Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

      Hahaha…it was all delicious! From what Becca was saying, it sounds like truffles are pretty widely available in Canberra, you lucky things!

      
      
18. on September 8, 2011 at 3:24 pm Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella

    I’m truffle mad as you already know and I mourn that the season is now over! But it’s something to really look forward to every year :)

    
    
19. on September 12, 2011 at 12:58 pm Vita

    Hi Celia

    We saw some fresh truffle at the Orange Grove market the other week. They were also selling the truffled eggs and truffle butter. I wanted to buy some but I didnt have a plan. Turns out you dont need a plan…

    A few weeks ago Rosso Pomodoro had a truffle week and we had the most amazing truffle and speck pizza. Still thinking about it!

    
    
20. on September 12, 2011 at 10:54 pm Platanos, Mangoes and Me!

    Wait until I write about my truffle experience. I can just imagine the taste of your dish….

    
    

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