Figs Are Here!

I've been doing cooking demos at a few farmers' markets in the area lately, and the offering has been, well, little boring, to be honest.  I was feeling somewhat defeated last weekend when two of the veggies I intended to be the "star" of two different recipes were no longer available - fava beans and asparagus.  Our weather has been so wack-a-doo that it's hard to depend on anything besides kale, salad greens and onions.

So I'm walking around feeling uninspired.  Then I saw the arrival of summer squash and got a quick little pick-me-up.  The zucchini and caserta squash would make nice substitutes for the fava beans and asparagus as it turned out.  But I got a kind of school girl silliness when I spied....figs.

Finally, something truly new and interesting!  I'm sure I've mentioned it before, I like to eat as seasonally as I can.  So I've waited for figs for a looong time.  And I knew just what I wanted to do with them: fig tartlets and  fig and arugula pizza.  No, not on the same night!  But actually, that's not a terrible idea.

So here are my non-recipe recipes for my two favorite fig dishes....

Fig Tartlets Cut a sheet of puff pastry into equal squares, separate, place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake according to package instructions.  Remove from oven and cut each one in half separating top from bottom.  Place a tablespoon of goat cheese on the bottom, top with sliced figs and some arugula that you've tossed with lemon juice.  Place the top puff pastry piece and dig in!

Arugula and Fig Pizza
This is essentially the same deal as the tartlet, but on a Boboli bread shell.  Drizzle a little olive oil onto the bread shell, top with goat cheese and fig slices.  Cook 8-10 minutes according to package, remove from oven and top with arugula that has been tossed with lemon juice.  Add a little red pepper flakes if you like it a little spicy, like I do.

According to one of the farmers I talked to this past weekend, they won't be around for long, so go out this week and grab a bunch. 

What do they do for me?

Figs contain more fiber that any other fruit, so they will keep you satisfied and feeling full.

They help keep your blood sugar regulated.

They are a natural laxative.

They help control blood pressure.

They protect your skeletal system.