I have a friend blessed with bountiful fig trees in her backyard. She shares her harvest with friends. I am lucky enough to get in on the action. To be clear, I can eat an embarrassing number of fresh figs. I have no problem testing the limits of my digestive track in this way. However, there are times I end up with more figs than I can, or should, consume in one sitting.
Have more figs than you know what to do with? Here are my three favorite fig recipes, in order of awesomeness, plus a bonus idea.
Rosemary, Fig, + Ricotta Cake
I used this Ricotta Rosemary Cake with Fig Recipe as the inspiration for the cake you see pictured . I used orange extract instead of vanilla. I also added a couple of orange extract drops to the sugared rosemary. The cake was rich enough (as well as very pretty) without the whipped topping, so I omitted that.
Fig + Onion Chutney
I more or less followed this Fig & Onion Chutney Recipe to make this chutney. Serve it on a baguette with sharp cheddar or bleu cheese. I put some over rice, and yup, that was good too.
Fresh Fig + Ginger Jam
My version of this jam came out more like a thick syrup. It was good over pancakes, scones, and such. It was the perfect Summer to Fall transition food. I used this Fig Jam Recipe as inspiration. Of course, I didn’t actually follow the recipe. I added fresh grated ginger and a handful of blueberries. If you actually follow the recipe, I suspect the jam would turn out like a regular jam instead of the syrup I made. But, what would be the fun in that?
Sweet & Savory Fig Pastry
Not really a recipe, but this is so good I had to share. Cover store-bought frozen puff pastry with figs, blueberries, walnuts, gorgonzola, and a honey drizzle. How much? You do you. Follow the directions on the puff pastry box to bake, and when it’s done – drizzle more honey on it and enjoy!
Random Fig Facts
Figs are in the mulberry family. The fruit is the blossom — a fig is a mass of inverted flowers and seeds. The edible fig is one of the first plants cultivated by humans. The fig and the fig wasp are an example of codependent evolution. Almost every species of fig (there are hundreds) has its own species of wasp.
