It's Fig Season!

If you like figs and you have the space I hope you have a fig tree or two... or three. Because figs are so perishable you are never going to be able to eat a fig that tastes as sweet and delicious as the ones you can grow yourself. The fresh ones that you can get this time of year at a grocery store, as good as they are, were picked under-ripe days ago. But if you grow your own, well damn, you can just walk out and pick one off the tree just like that.

Some cool things to make using figs - 
Fig preserves
Agrodolce figs
Roast figs wrapped in bacon or prosciutto
Figs stuffed with goat cheese
Fried figs
Figs stuffed with pistachios and candied orange peel
Chicken breast (or pork chop) stuffed with figs and goat cheese
Pork chops with a balsamic fig sauce
Fettuccine with figs
Fresh fig galette
Grilled fresh figs on rosemary skewers
Cucidati - Italian fig cookies. 
I will be adding recipes for these and more over time, check back often.
   
Fig Preserves - EASY!
Think about how good this will be on a bacon or  sausage biscuit!

About 4 cups of fresh figs

Cut figs into quarters

Make a simple syrup - 1/2 cup of sugar and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer

 Add the figs

Add the zest and juice of one lemon.  

Simmer the figs in the simple syrup with the lemon zest and lemon juice until nice a thick - for about 45 minutes.

Spoon into sterilized glass canning jars, add lid and ring. Return to the pot of hot water. Simmer the filled jars for 10 minutes.

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Fig Preserves with Orange

Same as above but use the zest from one navel orange instead of the lemon zest but still include the lemon juice.

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                                      Agrodolce Figs - Sweet and sour figs 
  
3 cups of ripe figs
1 tablespoon honey
1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar 
1 teaspoons fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
Water as needed

Simmer the figs in honey, balsamic vinegar, rosemary, a bay leaf and a little water for about 45 minutes. As the sauce thickens add a little water to keep it loose.

 Should look like this when done

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Fig and goat cheese stuffed chicken breast

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Fig Infused Balsamic Vinegar

Fig infused vinegar, why not? It's is easy – you can use a distilled vinegar, or a red or white wine vinegar, but for best results, an inexpensive balsamic works best. Just chop your figs (about a pound for every quart of vinegar), add the vinegar and figs to a large saucepan, and simmer it for about 20 minutes or more, until the figs have lost their form and become mush – strain and bottle. This will be thicker than the original vinegar, and is supposed to be – but if it’s too thick for you, add either more vinegar or, if it has a strong vinegar taste already, add water to thin it. Store in the refrigerator – it will keep indefinitely.

You can use this as you would regular balsamic vinegar - sauces, salad dressings, over ice cream, marinades, the figs give it a sweeter more complex flavor.