We talk a lot about how tomatoes inundate us at the end of summer. But you know what other fruit comes on strong this time of year? Figs! If you are lucky enough to have a tree, you know what I mean. The fruit is abundant and sometimes it seems that they ripen all at the same time. Their fragile skin makes figs difficult to transport unless picked unripe, which leads to a less-than-optimal eating experience. So seek out farmers markets or markets that buy direct from farmers like our local Co-oportunity stores. Whole Foods sometimes has them in ready-to-eat condition. But figs bruise easily, so be careful of buying those that are so bruised they’ve started to degrade or even ferment.
There is a reason that the phrase “fig on a plate” is code for precious foodie eating. Like eating a ripe summer peach, it’s hard to beat the perfection of the fruit itself, plain and unadorned. I love eating them as is, fresh off the tree and simply washed. I don’t bother to peel them because I relish texture.
Did you hear that figs are flowers, not fruit? Well, actually it’s a fruit filled with flowers, so when you cut it open, you’re not just looking at a bunch of seeds but also at unisex flowers. Wikipedia says that the fig is “botanically an infructescence, a type of multiple fruit.” The little opening at the bottom of each fig allows a pollinator wasp to enter and pollinate the flowers which leads to the formation of all the seeds. Ah biology! Figs are marvels that are also jammy and delicious.
You’ll find several varieties of figs at the market of varying color from black/purple to greenish yellow to green. Each variety has its own characteristics with flavors of honey, berry and sugar.
One of my favorite aspects of the fig is how it plays to both the sweet and savory sides of the kitchen. Their sweetness and rich texture pairs well with cheeses of all kinds and cured meats, but I think they pair especially well with the more luxurious dairy of mascarpone or burrata. A plate of raw figs accompanied with burrata and prosciutto is pretty much foodie heaven.
A plate of figs, prosciutto and burrata is foodie heaven. Photo by Shutterstock.
Sometimes if I want ideas for a certain ingredient, I’ll think about a cookbook author I love who might go deep with said ingredient. For me, Yotam Ottolenghi and figs were made for each other. If you have his books, dig them out and mine the indexes for ideas. Unlike many of his recipes, figs seem to bring out the simplicity in his recipe development.
If you’re in the mood to bake, you could make Ottolenghi’s fig, almond and yogurt cake with the addition of figs sauteed in wine caramel. Or make his salad of figs with young pecorino and honey, which he tosses with arugola. I love how the salty funk of the pecorino plays against the figs. The honey is there for balance. Adding a toasted nut like almonds or pistachios wouldn’t be amiss here.
Here are a few of my favorite recipes from Ottolenghi:
Grilled peaches and figs with scented yogurt
Figs with young pecorino and honey
Roasted figs with pomegranate molasses and orange zest
Caramelized fig, orange and feta salad
Baked ricotta with figs and lavender honey
Roasted sweet potatoes and fresh figs
Each of these recipes are simple to make and don’t take much time. I’d start with the grilled peaches and figs, while both are in the markets. Now that you have all these ideas in your pocket, run to buy the fruit before it disappears from our markets. Fig season is notoriously short.