SUMMER IN FULL FIG

Figs, plump, luscious and sweet, are one of the pleasures of summertime. My fig trees are pretty 
insignificant—one is out of reach beyond a bramble patch and the fruit of the other is consumed by field rats before it even ripens.

Luckily, my friend Charlotte has a garden where figs thrive. One enormous, sprawling tree is laden with fruit. Several smaller trees bear different varieties of figs. Charlotte used to dry her figs, spreading them on tarps in the late summer sun. They were then packed in a woven basket, cinched tightly and taken to a fig press. Pressing preserves the figs and keeps out bugs. With a reduced household, she can no longer make use of quantities of dried figs, so she doesn’t bother with drying anymore. She gives away fresh figs to all comers—including the washing machine repair man who took away 10 pounds of them. As a favored friend, I have all the figs I can possibly eat.

I have several favorite ways with fresh figs. Figgy ice cream (see the previous blog posting for the recipe) is one. I adore fig and chicken salad with tarragon dressing, a recipe I culled from Gourmet magazine many years ago. Figs pair beautifully with thinly sliced serrano or ibérico ham, making a simple but elegant starter. I’ve made fig jam and fig chutney, but, in fact, I prefer not to cook ripe figs.

That’s how I came to invent this fig salsa. It goes beautifully with foods from the grill. I especially like it with pork, lamb chops or chicken breast. Yesterday I served it with pan-fried pork tenderloin. I've got the leftovers to spread on a chicken sandwich.

The salsa is juicy and piquant, just right for summer meals. It keeps, covered and refrigerated, up to 2 days.


FIG SALSA

Makes 1 ½ cups salsa, serving 6 as an accompaniment.

½ lemon, chopped
12 ounces firm, ripe figs (about 12), peeled and chopped
3 tablespoons minced shallot (about 1 shallot)
2 tablespoons chopped jalapeños (2-3 peppers) 
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves

Blanch the chopped lemon in boiling water for 1 minute and drain. When it is cool, combine the lemon with the figs, shallot, jalapeños, ginger, salt and lemon juice.

Chill for at least 1 hour before serving. Stir in mint leaves before serving.