Friday, September 2, 2011

Figs are ripening in the high desert.






Not much fruit is ripening right now.  When I returned from vacation I noticed that my little dog, Hercules, was going outside and sitting under the fig tree.  He sits under my cherry tree when the cherries are ripe, so I went out to check the figs.  Sure enough, they were ripe, and the birds had already found them.  Normally this would be the second crop of the year, but with the late frost and strong Spring winds, the first crop never materialized.

I have three fig tree: Brown Turkey, Kadota, and Black Mission.  There were ripe figs to be picked from all three.  Ducking under the branches of the Black Mission fig, I came nose to beak with a roadrunner perched in the tree.  We looked at each other, and I was the one to back away.  A pair of roadrunners hang around a lot.  Do they eat figs?  Eat creatures that eat figs?  Do they nest this time of year?  Was she nesting in the fig tree, or in the Spanish Broom next to it?

This is the first year the Kadota figs have ripened properly.  Since they are the kind of figs bought in cans, and are mediocre eaten raw, I figured I better cook them.  Here is my simple attempt at a recipe.

Poached Kadota Figs
12 Kadota figs                                                                 
1/4 c white wine                                                             
Cut figs in half lengthwise and put in microwaveable bowl.
Add wine, cover, and cook for 6 minutes.     (Serves 2)   

No sugar is needed as the figs turn the wine into a syrup.  In fact, I think I will  cook this again tonight.

Now, does anyone have a recipe for Figgy Pudding?

No comments:

Post a Comment