“Never show up empty handed.” It's a rule I grew up with and, for many years, that meant I brought a bottle of wine to every dinner party.
As I got older, and was on the receiving end of lots of bottles of wine, other issues presented themselves. Do I serve the wine that was gifted me, even though it doesn't go with the meal?
Someone once arrived with two magnums of horribly sweet, cloying pink wine. Imagine the look on our faces. We could not bring ourselves to drink it, but opened it for him and he proceeded to drink an entire bottle, getting sloppy and maudlin till we had to escort him to the door and drive him home. The other bottle made lovely rosemary jelly (lots of it, and a rather successful redemption of an iffy wine) that everyone was given as a hostess gift that year.
At some point in my adulthood, I realized that I could be so much more personal when choosing a gift for my hosts. I now try to think, “Who are they? What would be special for them?”
Some items I like to bring include: homemade food items (limoncello, jam, bread), fun kitchen implements (hand-carved wooden spoons, ceramic bowls, an antique pie server), cheese from a local artisan (maybe include a cheese board, too?), a small basket of beautiful ripe tomatoes from the farmers market, a lovely hand or dish towel, or – when visiting friends abroad – crafts and spices native to our desert.
My niece Caitlin sent me some beautifully presented kitchen towels and aprons that she found in a local shop in New Jersey. Wouldn't these make a terrific gift for your host? So clever! (I am impressed she gave them - I never could have parted with them!)
What I try not to bring are things that make my hosts stop what they are busily doing in order to deal with my “thoughtful” gift. Cut flowers is first on my no-no list. If I really want to bring them, I present them already arranged in a vase, and offer to find a place to perch them so the host needn't skip a beat in the kitchen. A potted plant can be an even better choice.
A friend, Barbara, presents us with something she sewed - over the years, she has made us a beautiful Provençal picnic bag, a stunning potholder, and a lovely cloth bag that contained a local artisanal bread.
Dianne always brings creative, fun, and silly stuff - sparklers and bubble blowing equipment, for example. We love that!
Our friends Susan and Appy often bring a wonderful book, and last time it was a fantastic cookbook!
Recently, Ed and Lila brought some wine, and they brought us a dozen figs from their tree. I like gifts that can get turned into tarts! And that is just want happened to these figs!
Remember - a gift for the hosts isn't about an obligation not to show up empty-handed, but an opportunity to say a personal “thank you” for being invited into their home.
Key word: personal.
~ David
Fig Tart with Orange Flower Custard
adapted from Finecooking Magazine
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
pinch salt
8 tablespoons chilled, unsalted butter
1/4 cup ice water
10-12 ripe figs
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup crème fraîche *
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons orange flower water
flaked sea salt, for finishing
Combine the flour and salt in a large, wide bowl. Cut the butter into 32 pieces and add to the flour; toss to coat. Working quickly with your fingertips, pinch the butter into the flour to create flakes of flour-covered butter. Do this until there are no chunks of butter left, only flakes. Sprinkle the water on top, and, using a fork, toss the mixture to evenly distribute the water. Then, with your hands pull the dough together and knead briefly to form a ball. Refrigerate for 10 minutes before rolling. Roll the dough into a 12-inch circle and put it in a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Fold the excess dough down to make a thick rim for the tart, pressing it into the fluted pan. Prick the bottom of the pastry all over with a fork, then put in the freezer for 20 minutes while you heat the oven to 425°F. Line the pastry shell with foil, and fill with beans or pie weights. Bake until it’s lightly colored, about 20 minutes. Remove the tart and reduce the oven temperature to 400°F; remove the weights and foil.
Cut the stems off the figs (leave the skins on) and slice the figs in half. Whisk the egg yolk, crème fraîche, brown sugar, and orange flower water until combined and then pour into the tart shell. Place figs into the custard, cut side up on concentric circles starting from the outside. Bake the tart on the baking sheet in the 400°F oven until the custard is lightly colored and set, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle the tart with flaked sea salt and serve slightly warm.
Serves 8-10.
* If you don't have crème fraîche, you can approximate it by putting 1/2 cup heavy cream in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Then add 1 tablespoon of buttermilk, cover, then shake of a few seconds. Set aside at room temperature for 24 hours. You will need to do this a day in advance.
Labels: fig tart, fresh figs, hostess gifts, orange flower water
