We’ve had immature figs on our fig tree ever since the tree first leafed out in May – and I was so excited that we might have an early fig crop that the gods saw fit to Mae me wait and wait and wait. Luckily, the last two weeks must have triggered them into maturation, because suddenly we have the biggest fig harvest we’ve had since I started growing this hardy variety. Like many things this summer, it all happened at once, another case of feast or famine, with no happy middle ground. And so we are feasting…
I haven’t done anything special with these figs other than plucking them straight from the stem and popping them into my mouth, but there are many methods of preparation that accentuate their sweetness and add to their appeal. Honey and goat cheese is a popular combination, as is prosciutto, which is what I’ll be trying tonight – think of it as a variation on the prosciutto and cantaloupe/salty and sweet marriage.
It will be time to repot these specimens come spring – a daunting task that I’ve been dreading, and one that I’ll put off for another year. Whenever I want to hurry through winter, I’ll try to remember that this awaits, and maybe I won’t mind taking it slow.
