I’m continuing my week of recipes to celebrate the launch of The Good Neighbor, Book Two in the Fortune Bay Series, with this post on what to do with an abundance of figs.
I realize not everyone has figs in their backyard, but I have a huge tree, and quelle coincidence!, so does Stephanie, the matriarch of the series, who has her own romance in this book. A romance that begins in the a cool green oasis of the fig arbor on a hot summer day, the perfect place for a simmering scene of sexual tension (how’s that for alliteration?).
Sunlight penetrated the translucent leaves creating a cool and ethereal bower.
“The figs are in!” Stephanie’s triumphant voice emerged from inside the tree. A stepladder with two feet perched on a rung halfway up, leaned against the arbor. Long, firm legs rose from there, ending where Stephanie’s baggy green shorts disappeared into the dense leafy branches.
“Help me,” she said, her hand appearing beneath the canopy of leaves, cupping a succulent green fruit.
You get the picture.
Way #1 to use Figs – Fig Leather
Last year, I was away for fig season and my wonderful friends picked for me. I came home to a freezer full of figs. I did make my famous Figand Ginger Jam (recipe to follow) but the rest of the figs couldn’t be dried whole in the usual way, so I put 7 figs (I only have one leather sheet for my drier) and the juice of half a lemon in my Ninja blender – I love my Ninja blender -it up and poured it on the drier sheet. Two minutes work and it makes really delicious tangy fig leather. I have yet to find anyone who doesn’t love it.
Way #2 to use Figs – Judy’s Famous Fig & Ginger Jam
This recipe uses lemon and ginger to add zing. For those who don’t like ginger (seriously?) you can leave out the candied ginger and add instead 1 cinnamon stick, 2 cloves and 1/2 tsp ginger. Or a quarter cup Grand Marnier. I’ve had good luck with Fireball Whiskey too! You get the picture. Anything goes.
But this Fig & Ginger is amazing on toast or with chicken or pork, or by the teaspoonful right out of the jar!
Click here for Fig & Ginger recipe.
You can buy The Good Neighbor in eBook or paperback on Amazon, kobo, and nook.
And don’t forget, for this last, beautiful week of summer, Lake of Dreams is free in eBook form on online retailers until the end of August. See the sidebar. No excuses!
Happy eating, and good reading,
Your fig and ginger jam sounds divine! My pear tree is about to rain pears, which would be just fine if my McIntosh apple tree wasn’t about to do the same thing. Usually they each have a bumper crop on alternate years but this year is different. I hope this isn’t a harbinger of a severe winter to come. But at least we’ll have a full pantry of delicious jams, chutneys, etc.
Isn’t that the way it happens! I think pear and ginger would be a great combo too.
Hi Judith,
I wish we had planted a fig tree. I’m up to my neck in plums and Japanese pears at the moment. The fig jam sounds awesome. Thanks for sharing.
Best Wishes
Jo-Ann