Recipe: Poached figs in wine and herbs
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Summer figs, to me, are the epitome of California fruit. They love our climate. They have so much history. They’re easy to grow -- plus delicate, generous and delicious.
So much wrapped into one weird little package.
I grew up with backyard Mission fig trees. My grandmother made incredible amounts of fig jam, ready to fill cookies or top toast. The biggest treat was eating the figs fresh off the tree.
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How do you tell if a fig is ripe? Tap it gently three times, my grandmother instructed. If it falls off in your hand, it’s ready.
There were times when I tapped those figs like little punching bags, and they still didn’t come off. (That became a lesson in patience.)
I still love picking (and eating) fresh figs. Besides straight off the tree, figs are a versatile and flavorful fruit, at home in desserts or salads as well as alongside meat or poultry.
Poached figs are a grown-up treat. As a dessert, poached figs can be topped with ice cream, whipped cream or by themselves. Or they can be served warm with the main course, especially when flavored with thyme or other savory herbs.
Figs poach quickly, so keep an eye on them. They can go from perfect to mushy in minutes.
Match wine with the fig variety: White wine with light-colored figs; and reds with dark figs. Also, experiment with the herb-citrus combinations.
For these Mission figs, I used Malbec with orange zest and lemon verbena. (The uncooked figs went well with the wine, too.)
Poached figs in wine with herbs
Makes 2 servings
Ingredients:
1 cup wine (your choice)
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon citrus zest (lemon, orange, grapefruit or lime)
1 teaspoon fresh herbs (lemon verbena, thyme, rosemary, lavender, etc.)
5 to 6 figs, trimmed and halved (peeling optional)
Instructions:
In a medium saucepan, combine wine, sugar, zest and herbs. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 5 minutes.
Add figs and cover. Poach for 5 minutes or until figs are tender, easily pierced with a sharp knife.
Remove figs with a slotted spoon. Strain poaching liquid, if desired, to make a wine sauce.
Serve warm or room temperature, with or without wine sauce.
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| Figs crowd the saucepan while floating in the poaching liquid. |
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Garden Checklist for week of May 5
Survey your garden after the May 4 rainstorm. Heavy rain and gusty winds can break the neck of large flowers such as roses. Also:
* Keep an eye on new transplants or seedlings; they could take a pounding from the rain.
* Watch out for powdery mildew. Warmth following moist conditions can cause this fungal disease to “bloom,” too. If you see a leaf that looks like it’s dusted with powdered sugar, snip it off.
* After the storm, start setting out tomato transplants, but wait on the peppers and eggplants (they want warmer nights). Pinch off any flowers on new transplants to make them concentrate on establishing roots instead of setting premature fruit.
* Trim dead flowers but not leaves from spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils and tulips. Those leaves gather energy to create next year's flowers. Also, give the bulbs a fertilizer boost after bloom.
* Pinch chrysanthemums back to 12 inches for fall flowers. Cut old stems to the ground.
* Mulch around plants to conserve moisture and control weeds.
* From seed, plant beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, corn, cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, radishes and squash.
* Plant onion sets.
* In the flower garden, plant seeds for asters, cosmos, celosia, marigolds, salvia, sunflowers and zinnias. Transplant petunias, zinnias, geraniums and other summer bloomers.
* Plant perennials and dahlia tubers for summer bloom.
* Don’t wait; plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.
* Harvest cabbage, lettuce, peas and green onions.
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