Feature: The Perfect Fig

Figs are not a neutral fruit. The French writer Paul Valéry is quoted as stating, You may deprive me of anything you like except coffee, cigarettes and figs. There's nothing more decadent than fresh figs and luckily, figs are very easy to grow at home. As well, they like containers, and so work well in small spaces like balconies and patios and
their big glossy leaves make for a lovely ornamental tree.

One big advantage to growing your own is the difference between a tree-ripened fig and a store-ready fig are profound. Visually, the store fig is unmarred and looks more appealing. Tree ripened figs have seams cracking their flesh and have much more flavor than store bought figs. In his Meditations, Marcus Aurelius wrote about the cracked fig and beauty: Figs, also, when they are quite ripe, begin to crack... so that if one has sympathy with the operations of the universe, and a profound insight into them, everything connected with them, even accidentally, will be seen to have a beauty of it own.

Maybe you think you've been kissed before, but until you try a Panachee or sun warmed Violette de Bordeaux right off the tree, you're a fig virgin. Very few people have the luxury of tasting a fig at its best--this is why you want to grow your own.

Most people know the two most common figs--the black Mission fig, and the white Katoda. The Mission fig, named after the Mission of San Diego founded by Franciscans in 1769, was the first introduction of the dark skinned, pink -fleshed figs in California. Others didn't start arriving until the 1850's. The Kadotas, with thick yellow-ish green skin have super sweet amber centers were popular for canning in the 1920's. However, in California, you can grow over 50 different types of figs, so be sure and choose the best one for your micro-climate and taste.

Fig Varieties

Santa Cruz Dark
These are deep brown figs with slight chocolate aftertaste. They are
well adapted to most regions, but like full sun and ripen better in warmer areas. A good bet in the East Bay. Prepare them with anything from fig cake to cooking with pork for tacos.

Desert King
These have green/yellow skin and sweet amber centers. They thrive in Coastal areas like Sausalito and foggy sections of San Francisco. Try them fresh with Greek yogurt and walnuts or dry them for snacks.

Osborne Prolific
These have purple-brown skin and a honey center. They can handle really cool, coastal weather so if you're in Ft. Bragg, Mendocino, and Half Moon Bay they might be the variety for you. These even grow fruit in partial shade. Use the fruit to make crostini with nuts or fig cobbler.

Brown Turkey
These are large brown figs with amber centers. Try them in sunny spots in San Francisco and warm Marin places like San Rafael or Larkspur. Because of their size, they hold up to a grill well, so stuff with goat cheese, wrap with prosciutto and roast.

Panachee
These beauties have yellow-green striped skin and raspberry-jam like centers. They need a hot climate and long growing season, so Sonoma, Napa or San Jose areas are good. Toss them with mozzarella and mixed greens.

Violette de Bordeaux
These are small, deep purple fruit with strawberry center and complex, lingering flavor. They grow well in most regions and are small trees very well suited to containers so if you're growing them on a balcony or rooftop, this is the one for you. Eat the fruit fresh, immediately before raccoons or jays get them.

Growing Figs

Place your fig tree in full sun. These are Mediterranean trees, so make sure you don't over water them, and you don't need to fertilize them often either. Add a little bone meal to the pots in the beginning of the growing season. Once your tree is established, prune the branches back in the early spring. Fig trees go dormant in the winter, but they are not dead. At this time, you'll only need to water them about once a month.

Tip

After serving oysters on the half shell, wash the shells thoroughly, and save them. When planting a new fig in a container, put the shells in a bag and beat them with a hammer to add to potted fig trees. These provide a slow release of lime and calcium that figs like.

Recipe

Roasted Honey and Balsamic Glazed Figs with Herbed Goat Cheese on Fig Leaves Adapted from Fig Heaven: 70 Recipes for the World's Most Luscious Fruit by Marie Simmons (William Morrow 2004)

Obviously not everyone has access to fresh fig leaves. If you frequent a local farmers' market where figs are sold you might try smiling at the farmer and asking him if he could possibly pick you a couple of leaves for next time. When food is cooked on top of or wrapped in the leaves it takes on a pleasant taste somewhere between cinnamon and coconut. If you hit a dead end in the leaf department, don't despair, a leafless version of this recipe is more than acceptable.

1 large fresh fig leaf or two medium fig leaves, stems trimmed
Extra virgin olive oil
4 to 6 ripe fresh figs, stem ends trimmed, halved lengthwise
4 ounces (cut from a log) fresh goat cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 tablespoon snipped thyme and/or rosemary leaves
1-2 teaspoons honey
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
Good quality balsamic vinegar (about 1/4 teaspoon), optional
1 baguette, warmed and sliced

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.

2. Lightly brush a pie plate or 8-inch gratin or other shallow baking dish with a thin film of olive oil. Arrange one large or two medium fig leaves in the dish covering the surfaces.

3. Arrange the figs, cut side up, around the outside edges of the baking dish. Arrange the cheese cubes in a single layer in the center. Sprinkle the figs and cheese with the thyme and/or rosemary. Drizzle the figs and cheese lightly with about 1 tablespoon olive oil. Drizzle each fig with a small amount of honey. Season both the cheese and figs with salt and pepper.

4. Place in the hot oven and roast until the leaf begins to curl and the cheese and figs soften, about 15 minutes.

5. Before serving carefully place a tiny drop of balsamic in the center of each fig. To serve present a basket of sliced baguette. Spread the bread with the soften cheese and top with a fig half.

Serves 4 to 6 as an appetizer

Calendar Buzz

Saturday, August 15th from 10am to 1:00 pm, there will be a fig festival at the Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market. Eight farmers who grow and dry multiple varieties of figs, including the popular Black Mission, Brown Turkey, Adriatic and Kadota will be there. Visitors can spend time in the fig education booth, where they'll learn about the history of fig cultivation, which began as early as 9400 BC, and find out about the many nutritional benefits figs pack into their small, fragile cases. Maria Finn, of City Dirt, will be there discussing how to grow figs trees in the various bay area micro-climates. Marie Simmons, author of Fig Heaven and Linda Carucci of The International Cooking School at the Art Institute of SF and author of Cooking School Secrets for Real World Cooks will lead fig oriented cooking demonstrations.

For More Information Go To: Center for Urban Education About Agriculture Website.