Figs

[Gardian]

We've always liked them, but they could be a bit pricey in the UK.

Down here, they're a good deal cheaper (as you'd expect).  However, today on the local big-town market, trays of them (22 fruit) for €3.  Two trays for €5.  We took one (tray!) - all perfect, good-sized.

Good way to do them. Trim off the stalk, cross the top third with a sharp knife and stand them up in a small dish.  Stuff a bit of soft brown sugar inside (don't worry about how tidily you do it). Pour over a slug of whatever booze you happen to have in the cupboard - rum, cheap brandy, anything.  Oven (170C-ish) for 12-15 mins.  Serve with Greek Yoghurt or ice cream.  Anyone who says they don't like figs, will like this - believe me.

[virginia.c]

and there I was last week giving pounds away free to anyone who would take them! There's still an old woman in Hautefort wondering who the crazy woman was who forced a whole box on her..

[suein56]

[quote user="virginia.c"]and there I was last week giving pounds away free to anyone who would take them! There's still an old woman in Hautefort wondering who the crazy woman was who forced a whole box on her... [/quote]

She possibly thought that the box was a 'cadeau' ie she should pay for it; instead of a 'cadeau, cadeau' when it really is a present and payment is not expected.

Sue

[virginia.c]

my French is pretty basic but I did explain that I had two large fig trees and no way of using all the fruit myself, so i was just offering them to all and sundry at no cost. Mind you, reading that back makes me see why she thought I was crazy!

[DorothyJ]

Make some fig chutney to see you through the winter. Absolutely delicious!

Dorothy J

[buelligan]

I like the sound of your recipe Gardian, I use them in a similar way - I put them in ramekins, cut a cross in the tops, but I stuff in some roquefort or chevre.  Cook for 10-15 mins in a hotish oven and serve as a rather nice starter.  My neighbours have taught me a superb, traditional and simple way of preserving figs.  Just make a sugar syrup.  Add whole figs (try not to break them up).  Boil for a bit and pot up in clean jars.  You can also add almonds with the figs to the syrup if you like.  This is an absolutely delicious preserve (rather sweet so don't eat too much at a time), great with cheese or with vanilla icecream.  [:D]

[suein56]

[quote user="DorothyJ"]Make some fig chutney to see you through the winter. Absolutely delicious!

Dorothy J[/quote]

I can second that; a friend gave us a jar of her fig chutney last year [:)] and it was truly delightful.

Sue

[ViVienne]

in the uk, just bought 5 figs for £1.50 in our local market.........

[DorothyJ]

We have 2 fig trees which are only a few years old but we are still struggling to use them all. BUT the chickens are helping out - the low growing figs are easy but it takes  quite a bit of athletic jumping to reach those a little higher up! My husband reckons it keeps them fit!

[Fay]

Buelligan, my fab fig recipe is rather like yours:

cut top off each fig and cut a cross down almost to the base.

Lay fig on side at one end of a piece of Bayonne (or other cured) ham, fatty side of ham at top end. Roll up and stand on base.

Take a large teaspoon full of soft goat's cheese and insert in 'funnel' of ham at top, then pinch the top of the ham closed over the cheese to form a little crown.

Bung as many as you have made into a small baking dish and whack in a 180C over for about 20 mins.

The top of the ham goes crispy, the figs go molten and leak sticky juices, the cheese stays in shape.

It is absolutely heavenly (imho)!

[buelligan]

Fay, that sounds fantastic!  Unfortunately, I am a vegetarian but I shall use your recipe the next time I have to feed barbarians![:D]  Thanks![:D]

[ViVienne]

I would love to see the jumping fig eating chickens!!

[DorothyJ]

I will try and take a photo. Actually my girls are really athletic as they perform the same trick on the Himalayan Honeysuckle when the berries arrive. Unfortunately they crush the flags which are growing underneath the shrub as they crash down on to them. Completely spoilt - I mean the chickens!

[Gardengirl]

I looked in the market for figs on Saturday, but no joy. I've just come back from shopping, and looked at the figs in the local greengrocer's. They didn't look that good, and were 6 euros a kilo. I do envy some of you with access to lovely cheap figs.

GG

[buelligan]

Yes, we are lucky aren't we?  The figs are almost over here now but I still managed to find a fair few of the delicious black Smyrnas recently (they are much, much smaller, darker and sweeter than they were earlier in the summer).  My neighbour advised me to include them when cooking pintade.  Add them to the juices in the roasting pan at the end.  She says that these late figs are really wonderful cooked like that and compliment the dish perfectly.  Unfortunately, I don't eat meat but perhaps someone else would care to try it and give a review?[:)]

[just john]

I have several trees, one of which bore carrier bags of black ripe gorgeous fruit, delicious straight from the tree (medicinal qualities discovered next day!). My French friend insisted on making a dozen jars of ''figues violeltes?'' jam, and a jar of ''figue blonds?'', only tried the jam so far, great on toast or ice-cream. However the other tree is yielding only green figs, some large, some small, but none ripe, and as hard as rock? They are within 50metres of each, I wonder why the second (slightly smaller) tree has not ripened, and what I could do?

[buelligan]

Hey just john!  As you probably realise there are lots of different varieties of fig.  Just like apples, some are great for cooking, some for eating fresh.  Figs generally produce two crops a year.  If you examine your tree in the summer, you will see a ripe or ripening crop and another lot of totally unripe fruit (the second crop).  The first fruit ripen in June and July, these are usually followed by another crop later in the summer/early autumn. 

I am still picking figs from Smyrna (a dark variety which provides large elegant figs for the table early in the year and smaller ones - still great for the eating fresh or making preserves as a later crop) but the Boule 'd Or (a light yellow/green fig for jam) trees have been bare for weeks (except for the little embryonic figs that will provide next years fruit and a few bigger ones which, I assume would be a third crop in a warmer climate).

I imagine that you have two different varieties of tree and that is why they are fruiting differently.  The dark one sounds like a keeper.  The other one is probably just as good but has finished fruiting for the year (or it may not be a good tree - there are plenty of wild figs about here that hardly fruit at all).  Hope that helps a bit![:D]

[Gardengirl]

I've seen jars of both 'figues violettes' and ordinary 'figues'; can anyone tell me what the difference is? Someone in the supermarket obviously didn't want the 'violettes', but there was no ordinary 'figues'; she couldn't explain quite why - 'ce n'est pas si bonne, madame', was all she would tell me.

[Patf]

There are several fig trees growing wild around here. I suppose they belong to someone, or seeds carried by the birds. Most seem to go to waste which is a shame considering how much they cost in the shops.

They all finished fruiting a few weeks ago.

One tree had large green figs which were very sweet and soft to eat. Otherwise it is the smallish black ones.

So you need to learn how to recognise the different types. I suppose the leaves vary too.

[Wilko]

We have a great many figs so when Mrs W has made copious quantities  of jam, touch of vaniile added, i take the remainder a couple of kms down the road to my very eccentric neighbour, he does Bohemian in spades. He's a lovely old guy who is into foie gras in a small way ie 20 geese and 50 ducks. He suffered a small credit crisis this year ie couldn't buy new birds so I helped him out. Off we went to a local market, non touristico, to buy the birds...........it was straight out of Peter Mayle, the negotiations were loud but he got a deal.........about 30%. Having bought all these birds I did wonder as to how their transportation would be accomplished, we were in my estate car. Absolutely no problem, bit like how many people you can get in a phone box..........birds were put into card board boxes gently but firmly, so with 70 birds boxed we returned, after a couple of pastis in the local bar. They were in the boxes for around an hour, we arrived back at Bohemia and let them out, they were absolument impeccable after their travels. They are now in the best of health, wandering around his enormous plot and fattenng very nicely.........they just love the figs, which should give the geese and their foie an excellent taste. Incidentally as far as I can make out foie came from Hungary originally and then the Romans took to producing in quantity, the Provence connection, so foie is alive and well, this year some of them will be ours so am looking forward to Xmas and NY Eve.

Bon appetit........Wilko

[Gardian]

Wilko ............

A great tale. 

Many don't go for foie gras, either because they just don't like the taste or for objections to the rearing process. But, if you can get over the latter and try a bespoke one as opposed to a factory made job, there's nothing like it.

Bon appetit indeed.

[DorothyJ]

Serve fig chutney with the  foie gras. A chef friend of ours gave us some of his home made foie gras with a small dish of fig chutney as a christmas present one year.