Favorite Fig Recipes

Fig Heaven: 70 Recipes for the World's Most Luscious Fruit

by: Marie Simmons

Amazon Price: $9.98 (as of 02/17/2012)

They come fresh or dry, in yellow or purple, from California and Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries. They are in restaurants, supermarkets, fruit stands, backyards, and inside some very famous cookies. What are they? They're figs -- one of America's favorite fruits.

From Mission and Kadota figs to Adriatic and Calimyrna varieties, award-winning cookbook author Marie Simmons leaves no fig or fig leaf unturned in this extraordinary book about this most extraordinary fruit: Fig Heaven.

Figs are harvested in late summer and early fall, but, fortunately for us, they are easily dried and packaged, so they're available all year long. Packed with vitamins and antioxidants, plump, fragrant figs are guilt-free indulgences that can be enjoyed in countless ways.

Fig Heaven is an inviting, comprehensive cookbook offering 70 recipes for both fresh and dried figs. They range from appetizers, salads, and sandwiches to entr#233;es and desserts.

On the savory side, you'll find Open-Faced Dried Fig and Melted Blue Cheese Sandwiches; Fettuccine with Fresh Figs, Lemon, and Rosemary; and Lamb Pilaf with Artichokes and Dried Figs. If your sweet tooth needs some real satisfaction, there's a Fresh Fig and Peach Crumble, Dried Fig and Walnut Biscotti, and Molten Chocolate Roasted Figs with Vanilla Custard Sauce.

Fig 'Black Mission' Tree Container Plant

Amazon Price: $7.95 (as of 02/17/2012)

Description The Black Mission Fig originated at Spanish Monasteries in California and Mexico centuries ago. The fig is a picturesque tropical-looking tree or shrub with a dramatic spreading habit. The breadth is often wider than the height of 15'-30'. The bark is smooth and silvery gray and the deciduous leaves are 3 or 5-lobed and 4"-10" long. There are many cultivars available for the home landscape. Location Originally from the eastern Mediterranean region, figs have been cultivated by humans for over 5000 years. Culture Light: Part sun to full sun. Moisture: Average, well-drained. Drought tolerant, once established. Hardiness: Hardy in USDA Zones 8-10, but with winter protection can be grown as far north as Zone 5. Propagation: Dormant hardwood cuttings and root suckers. As a patio plant, set outside during the summer and move indoors in the winter. Usage Fig trees usually begin bearing fruit within two years. Mulch heavily with organic materials to conserve moisture, improve soil structure and reduce root knot nematode levels. Once established, figs are drought tolerant and generally free of pests and diseases. When fully dormant, fig trees can tolerate temperatures as low as -15° F. In colder regions, figs are grown as bushes with multiple stems and branches close to the ground that are laid down and buried before winter. Even if frozen to the ground, figs often will resprout from the roots and produce a crop the following summer. Fig trees respond well to pruning. They can be espaliered or pruned heavily in the dormant season for size control and to increase the main crop. The fig tree makes an especially attractive specimen in the landscape. It's graceful, spreading shape and smooth, twisting branches command attention in all seasons. You will receive one Black Mission Fig growing in a 4" pot. It is about 6" tall and well rooted.