[1] Crusty country bread topped with fig jam, ricotta, San Daniele ham (a sweeter alternative to prosciutto) and arugula.

[2] Roasted ham, fresh figs and arugula on a baguette (photo © The Model Bakery | St. Helena, California).

January 16th is National Fig Newton Day, but we have no Newtons at hand. We do, however, have figs…and bread…and cheese…and ham. So we’re creating a savory Fig Newton sandwich for lunch, substituting fresh figs and fig jam for the Newton filling, and bread for the cookie portion. We have enough ingredients to make the sandwich in a number of ways:

 
When you make a ham sandwich, think of this:

While today ham is the food of Everyman, for a long time it was an elite meat: enjoyed by royalty and served by the affluent on special occasions. In the Roman Empire, it was served to emperors and their guests.
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF SANDWICHES
 
> THE HISTORY OF HAM
 
> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF HAM
 
> THE HISTORY OF FIGS

Get ready for weekend cocktail hour with this Rosemary & Grape Focaccia recipe from King Arthur Baking. Roasting the grapes concentrates their flavor and tightens their texture. When baked on top of focaccia and garnished with fresh rosemary, the result is a flatbread that’s excellent for snacking, or for pairing with cheeses and charcuterie or Italian salumi.

> The history of focaccia.

> There are more focaccia recipes below.
 
 
WHAT IS FOCACCIA

Focaccia (foe-KAH-cha) is an Italian yeast bread, baked in a flat or round pan. It is one of the most popular breads in Italy.

A bit of history: In the old days before the availability of baking pans, yeast-risen breads and cakes were patted into rounds and baked on hearthstones or griddles. By the 17th century, hoops made of metal or wood were placed on flat pans to shape breads and cakes.

In the 17th century, cookware developed so that the European kitchen contained a number of skillets, baking pans, a kettle and several pots, along with a variety of pot hooks to hold the cookware over the fire, and trivets to place the hot cookware when removed from the fire.
 
 
RECIPE: ROSEMARY & GRAPE FOCACCIA

If you want to be more creative, you can mix different colored grapes.

Prep time is 15 minutes, bake time is 23 to 27 minutes, plus 1-2 hours rising time. Total 2 hours 48 minutes.

Ingredients For The Dough

 
IngredientsFor The Topping

 
Preparation

1. MAKE the dough. Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Combine all of the dough ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix until a soft dough forms. Knead using a mixer at medium speed for 6 minutes or by hand on a lightly floured surface for 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and supple.

2. TRANSFER the dough to a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 to 2 hours, until doubled.

3. WASH and drain the grapes.

4. ASSEMBLE: Lightly oil an 18″ x 13″ baking sheet. Transfer the dough to the pan and gently press it out to fill the pan. If the dough starts to snap back, cover and let it rest for 10 minutes before pressing it out further.

5. DRIZZLE 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the dough and arrange the grapes across its surface. Cover the dough with greased plastic wrap or your favorite reusable cover and let it rise for 30 minutes.

6. REMOVE the cover and gently press the grapes down into the dough; they should be embedded, not resting on top. Re-cover and let rise for another 30 minutes, while you preheat the oven to 375°F.

7. UNCOVER the focaccia, add the rosemary sprigs and bake for 23 to 27 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve warm.

Store any leftovers, well wrapped, at room temperature for a couple of days; or freeze for longer storage. (But we bet there won’t be any leftovers, and you’ll be sorry you didn’t make two flatbreads!).
 
 
MORE FOCACCIA RECIPES

[1] Rosemary and grape focaccia. Enjoy it warm from the oven, as a snack or with wine and cocktails (photo © King Arthur Baking).

[2] Red grapes add more color to the beige focaccia, but you can use a mix of red and green grapes if you like (photo © Polina Kovaleva | Unsplash).

[3] Fresh rosemary can be added to breads and muffins, eggs, olive oil, olive oil cakes, salads, soups, stews and more, and the whole twig can be used as a garnish in cocktails and on plates and platters (photo © Burpee).

[4] Focaccia can be decorated with vegetables for a beautiful presentation. Here’s the recipe (photo © Sugar Geek Show).

[1] Pepperoni popcorn. This original recipe from The Popcorn Board didn’t contain tomato powder, which we added (photo © The Popcorn Board).

[2] Tomato flakes are available from The Spice Lab. Tomato powder is another option.

[3] Turkey pepperoni (photo © Applegate Naturals).

The Popcorn Board is a non-profit organization funded by U.S. popcorn processors to raise awareness of popcorn as a versatile, whole-grain snack. They excel in finding new and creative ways to use popcorn—from skillet bread and meatloaf to ice cream sandwiches and many, many flavored popcorn recipes and holiday treats. Their latest recipe is popcorn with the seasoning of pepperoni pizza.

The recipe is below. We added tomato flakes to the seasoning for an all-out pizza flavor. The tomato flakes (or the finer-grained tomato powder) may give a Cheetos-type dusting to your fingertips, but just like the orange cheese dust, it’s worth it.

> Check out many more popcorn recipes, both savory and sweet, from The Popcorn Board.

> Take a look at the history of popcorn.

> Have you ever had popcorn salad? Use some of the pepperoni pizza popcorn to top salad greens.
 
 
WHAT ARE TOMATO FLAKES & TOMATO POWDER?

Tomato flakes and tomato powder are seasonings that add tomato flavor to any savory recipe: breads, chili, eggs, meats, pasta and pizza, salads, sauces, smoothies, soups, stews, and even tomato juice.

Add them to potatoes and rice, enhance salad dressing, and mix them into sour cream or yogurt for a dip.

Both products are made from dehydrated tomatoes and contain all the lycopene, vitamins A and C, and other nutrients of fresh tomatoes.
 
 
RECIPE: PEPPERONI PIZZA POPCORN

If you don’t have time to get tomato flakes or powder, make the recipe without it.

Ingredients

1. COMBINE the Parmesan cheese, spices, and seasonings in a small bowl; mix well.

2. PLACE the popcorn and turkey pepperoni in a large bowl; spray lightly with cooking spray. Sprinkle the popcorn and pepperoni with cheese and spice mixture and toss to coat evenly.