Provisions from the Orchard: Dried Figs and Cheese for the Road
Sun-dried figs accompanied by firm goat cheese and a few almonds: the road snack that does not spoil, sweet and salty, made for the sea and paths.
Sun-dried figs accompanied by firm goat cheese and a few almonds: the road snack that does not spoil, sweet and salty, made for the sea and paths.
You are going to sea, and no one knows what the gods have in store for the traveler. Take these figs that I dried in the sun on the racks of Laertes' orchard, and this hard cheese that will keep for many moons without turning. A few almonds as well, and you are provisioned for the crossing. These are both poor man's and king's provisions: light to carry, faithful to the stomach. May Poseidon be merciful to you, and return — one always returns, if the gods will it.
- •Dried figs — a good supply (sugar, energy, preservation)
- •Firm goat cheese — a wheel (travel protein)
- •Almonds — a handful (fat supplement)
- •Honey — a little, optional (to coat)
Provisions from the Orchard: Dried Figs and Cheese for the Road
Sun-dried figs accompanied by firm goat cheese and a few almonds: the road snack that does not spoil, sweet and salty, made for the sea and paths.
Why this dish? Laertes' orchard, where fig trees and vines grow, is a central place in the Odyssey: it is there that Odysseus, upon his return, makes himself known to his old father by naming the trees. Anticlea, guardian of this house, prepares provisions from the orchard for anyone who takes to the sea — these dried figs and cheese that keep and sustain travelers on the long roads of Ithaca.
You are going to sea, and no one knows what the gods have in store for the traveler. Take these figs that I dried in the sun on the racks of Laertes' orchard, and this hard cheese that will keep for many moons without turning. A few almonds as well, and you are provisioned for the crossing. These are both poor man's and king's provisions: light to carry, faithful to the stomach. May Poseidon be merciful to you, and return — one always returns, if the gods will it.
Ingredients (period version)
- Dried figs — a good supply (sugar, energy, preservation)
- Firm goat cheese — a wheel (travel protein)
- Almonds — a handful (fat supplement)
- Honey — a little, optional (to coat)
Ingredients
- Dried figs — 200 g (sugar and energy)
- Dry goat cheese (or young pecorino) — 150 g (protein)
- Almonds — 80 g (fat supplement)
- Honey — 1 tbsp (optional) (binder and sweetness)
- A few bay leaves — 2-3 (flavor and preservation)
Method
- If the figs are very dry, soften them for 5 minutes in a little warm water, then drain.
- Lightly toast the almonds in a dry pan to bring out their flavor.
- Cut the cheese into sticks or cubes.
- Open each fig and insert a piece of cheese and an almond, like a small stuffed fig.
- Drizzle with honey if desired, and scent the storage container with bay leaves.
- Store dry in a cloth or box; take along for the road.
How it was made : Dried figs, cheese, olives, and almonds formed the travel provisions (ephódia) of the ancient Greek world: foods that keep without cooking, dense in energy, easy to transport by sea. Laertes' orchard, described in Book 24 of the Odyssey with its fig trees, vines, and pear trees, embodies this food self-sufficiency of the aristocratic estates of Ithaca.
The contemporary twist : Present the fig-stuffed goat cheese as modern appetizer bites, pierced with a sprig of bay — an ancient hiking snack turned chic amuse-bouche.
Anticleia · Charactorium
