Last week I made this super simple apple tart and I realized that with a good thin dough any fruit could just be a perfect match, nothing else but fruit, so I decided to try with figs this time. Usually fig tarts implies almond powder, a mixture of taste and texture, but figs are actually delicious just plain. So I made a thin sable dough and cut figs in slices, bake for 20min and enjoy just like that what was probably the last fig tart of the season. Simplicity is sometimes what we need in cuisine.
As you may have noticed already I really love to cook lotus roots (renkon-蓮根) . They have a beautiful white color that goldens when cooked, a very crispy texture, a nice shape and a delicious taste. And practicaly they’re super easy to peel and cut, and don’t require a lot of cooking time. It’s quite simple to find some all year round but spring for tiny ones, and autumns for larger ones seems the best periods. They grow in many places in Japan so local lotus roots are also easy to find, though the best I’ve ever had came from Kanazawa, which is famous for lotus roots.
Lotus roots accomodate very well with other veggies and I like to cook them with carrots, shishito, kabocha… I also love them in homemade chips. This week I’ve been working late pretty much every day, so fixing dinner in a short time was quite a must. So for this recipe I simpl cut and wash the peeled lotus root, stir fry in a bit of oil, added some shishito, and in the mean time cooked some rice with sweet potatoes. I served the rice, topped with the lotus roots and shishito, added some sesame seeds and a bit of salt. Dinner’s ready!
