What Do You Know About Figs?

During a recent visit to my sister's house, my brother and law treated Leo and me to a plate of tasty figs, which he'd procured at our local Costco. Now, aside from how tasty Fig Newton cookies are, I didn't know much about figs until I met Leo, who tells some lovely stories about eating fresh figs, straight from the tree as he was growing up in Uruguay.  

Figs are sweet, but not too sweet, and there's something quite sumptuous about them. I always feel a little decadent when I'm eating figs. It's no wonder that figs are considered to be a symbol of abundance and sensuality. Our favorite way to eat them is fresh, sliced, and accompanied by a bit of cheese, olives, and wine. And I'm a huge fan of fig jam. 

There's a lot you can do with figs, too. You can use them to liven up a salad, make a fish or chicken dish more exciting, or stuff the figs themselves to make a burst of extraordinary flavor.

According to the California Fig Grower's Association, "fresh figs are very perishable and should be kept refrigerated, even at the store. At home, they should keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. They are very easy to freeze, so stock up for those months when they are not available. Just wash firm ripe figs, arrange on baking sheets, and freeze. Then, store in sealed plastic bags in the freezer for up to six months, removing just the number needed each time."

Here's a fig recipe from InMamasKitchen.com:

Figs with Salad Greens

Ingredients:

6 ripe figs
2 cups arugula, stems removed torn in pieces
2 cups Boston lettuce torn in pieces
6 - 8 slices of goat cheese, cut in 1/2 inch rounds  (2 per serving)
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
Freshly milled pepper to taste

Vinaigrette1 small shallot, finely diced

2 teaspoons Champagne vinegar

1 pinch salt 

2 tablespoons walnut oil

To make the vinaigrette:  Combine shallot, vinegar and salt in a bowl. Whisk to melt the salt a bit. Add oil and whisk it to emulsify. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.

Quarter the figs or slice them into rounds.Wash and dry the greens.Toss the greens with just enough vinaigrette to coat them lightly. Arrange the greens on 3 or 4 plates and place the figs artistically around and on top of them, along with the cheese and walnut pieces. Spoon the remaining vinaigrette over the top.  Give a twist or two (to taste) of the pepper mill on top of each plate and serve.