(okay… but maybe that title is a bit too much.) And for any of you who might be getting a bit tired of all this fig business, (who are you anyway?) This is the last post about figs. I just feel the need to really drive this point home. Figs are so good for you! And they taste amazing. No wonder they’re the food of the gods. Fantastic figs!

Besides bring richer in calcium than cow’s milk, figs contain a significant amount of protein, lots of dietary fiber, high vitamin E and vitamins B2 and B6!

Do you wonder what all those things mean and what they’re good for?

One serving of figs (8 ounces, or about 2-3 fresh figs) contain:

15% RDA of Potassium which helps control high blood pressure
30%RDA Dietary fiber which contributes to lower cholesterol levels and helps in weight loss. In a recent study women who ate more fruit fiber had a 34% decrease in risk of breast cancer.
8% RDA of Calcium promotes bone density and helps absorption of
10% magnesium which decreases symptoms like hypertension and aids in prevention against diabetes and
14% manganese which helps the body assimilate key nutrients, maintains optimal thyroid function and helps maintain blood sugar levels.

Antidiabetic properties have been found in liquid extract from fig leaves, and in one study diabetics who consumed the extract were shown to require decreased amounts of insulin from injection. Fig leaves have also been shown to lower levels of triglycerides (a form in which fats circulate in the bloodstream) and have been shown to be effective in inhibiting certain types of cancer cells.

Enjoy!

It’s starting to rain a lot here in Oregon. The temperature is still pleasant, but winter is definitely on its way. The real news is, our figs have given their last crop for the season. Insert violin music here.

Ok, well in light of this development (winter is upon us). I have decided that my last recipe for this month of figs will be made with dried figs, and therefore a recipe that is easy to make all year round. Dried figs are easy to find in most grocery stores but make sure that when you’re buying them, you try to buy organic and sulfite-free.

Commercially grown dried figs may be treated with sulfur dioxide gas during processing. They may also be treated with sulfites to extend their shelf life. Sulfur-containing compounds are often added to dried foods like figs as preservatives to help prevent oxidation and bleaching of colors. The sulfites used to help preserve dried figs cause adverse reactions in an estimated one out of every 100 people, who turn out to be sulfite sensitive. Sulfite reactions can be particularly acute in people who suffer from asthma. The Federal Food and Drug Administration estimates that 5 percent of asthmatics may suffer a reaction when exposed to sulfites. Foods that are classified as “organic” do not contain sulfites since federal regulations prohibit the use of these preservatives in organically grown or produced foods. Therefore, concern about sulfite exposure is yet another reason to purchase organic foods. -WHFoods

I digress… Dried figs! A fabulous addition to any winter dish, be it stew, salad or simply by themselves. If you soak dried figs (or dried anything) in water for a while they will rehydrate and become wonderfully plump and juicy, even more so if you soak them in warm water or stew them. This tapenade recipe packs a punch for essential fatty acids and B-vitamins (as well as high amounts of other vitamins and minerals,) both of which are essential for maintaining good immunity as well as balanced mental and emotional states of being throughout dark winter months. If you’re more interested in sweet than savory, follow this recipe sans olives and capers for a sweet-tooth satisfying spread.

Fig, Walnut & Olive Tapenade
Makes 1.5 cups

1 cup dried black mission figs
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted
1/2 cup walnuts
2 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon capers
1 tablespoon crushed, dried rosemary
2 teaspoons honey
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Soak dried figs in warm water for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 35oF. Spread walnuts on a baking tray and place in the oven on the middle shelf. Bake for approximately 5 minutes, take out and stir, bake for 3 minutes more. Walnuts become bitter when they’re cooked for too long, you want the nuts to be roasted but not bitter. Feel free to sample and test.

Drain figs from soaking water and combine with the rest of the ingredients (except for salt and pepper) in a food processor and pulse on high until you’ve formed a tapenade to the consistency you desire. The mixture shouldn’t be totally smooth, leave some texture. Season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy on bread or crackers, crudités, with cheese etc. Tapenade should last refrigerated for about 3 weeks.

You could, in fact, roast any fruit with any kind of strong/ sweet tasting liquid, a couple of spices and a dash of butter and the result would probably be fantastic. That said, there’s something about this particular combination that is quite exquisite. The fig flavour deepens and spreads out into the buttery roasting sauce, which is good enough to want to eat by the spoonful (and you might). I think that Brandy and figs are a perfect match, but Madeira, Porto and a good deep Whiskey are all options you might want to try. The alcohol content burns off pretty much immediately, but if you’re concerned about that non-alcoholic options you might try are a strong steeped tea (black or green), pear nectar or apple juice.

I had planned on making a cardamom whipped cream to accompany my figs, but I turned my back on the food processor for a moment and when I turned around again my cream had gone past whipped straight into butter. I used this butter for the recipe and then I had it this morning on toast and it was lovely. The recipe is simple, add ground spices (I used more cardamom and a dash of anise and cinnamon), bit of vanilla, tablespoon of sugar, add into heavy whipping cream and whip. If you’re ‘hand-whipping’ you’ll probably be ready to call it quits long before you’ve formed a butter. But, if you’re lazy like me and use your food processor it doesn’t take long. Between 90 seconds and 2 minutes.

Brandy Roasted Figs

6 ripe figs
1 tablespoon spiced (as above) or unsalted butter (vegans use coconut oil)
2 tablespoons Brandy or cooking liquid of choice
2 teaspoons of sugar
1 heaping teaspoon of cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 300F
Place figs in a small roasting dish and cut a cross hatch on top of each almost all the way to the bottom.
Melt butter in a small saucepan, before the butter is fully melted add sugar, Brandy, salt and spices, stir for a moment so that the mixture is thick and even
Pour mixture over the figs, making sure that the liquid gets into the inside of the figs
Place the figs, uncovered in the oven and roast for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes turn the oven off, but let the figs sit for about 5 minutes as the oven cools.

Serve with garnish of herbs (I used a sprinkle of lemon thyme), toasted nuts or a dollop of cream. And enjoy!

Unripe or green figs are quite hard and when freshly picked they bleed a milky liquid that is sticky and bitter. However, green figs that have been cooked for a long time with ample sugar and spices produce a marvelous treat! Yisil Incir Receli (Green Fig Jam) is a recipe from a Marvelous book I have here by Ghillie Basan called, The Middle Eastern Kitchen.

I have modified the recipe somewhat, using much less sugar and adding a few of my own ingredients like flowers and spices. I’ll list the traditional recipe and then note the changes I made. Enjoy!

Makes roughly 5 cups of jam
Preparation time: 5-10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

1 pound small, immature green figs, washed and patted dry
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cup water
juice of 1/2 lemon
Things I added:
2 tablespoons fresh rose petals
1 teaspoon orange flower extract
pinch of sea salt

(I used only 1/2 cup of sugar and still found the figs to be quite sweet. I dislike overly sugary things though and middle eastern desserts are often too sweet for me. Anywhere between 1/2 to 2 cups of sugar should be fine.)

Trim the knobby stalks off the figs and cut off any imperfections on the skins.

Put the water and the sugar  (and the orange flower extract) in a heavy based pan and bring to a boil, stirring all the time. Stir in the lemon juice and figs and boil rapidly for about 5 minutes.

Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes (add rose petals), until the syrup thickens and the figs are beautifully tender. During this time your kitchen will begin to smell somewhat similar to how I would imagine it smells in heaven. Divine.

Leave the figs to cool in the syrup, then spoon them into scalded jars. Leave them to stand for a few days before eating them. You may wish to mash them for more of a jam consistency or keep them whole as I did.

Unripe green figs