End of Summer in the District Means: Figs!

As more than a few friends have heard since the beginning of summer, I adore figs. The gritty texture, the pinkish red color, the sweetness. I love how complex they are when they are fresh, and how complimentary they are when paired with other ingredients.

Needless to say, I've been in search of fresh figs for a few months, regularly checking in with Costco's produce manager, making unnecessary stops at Harris Teeter, and eagerly perusing the weekend offerings at Eastern Market. I had no idea that my first figs of the season would come not from the store, but from the backyard of a sweet friend's parents! It's true- the figs pictured here are LOCAL. ooohhh-aaahhh!!

My friend dropped them off, and I promptly ate the two most ripe of the batch- they were well worth the wait! I took two others, scored the tops, filled them with Feta cheese (Gorgonzola would have been yummy too!) and popped them into the oven to roast them. As soon as the cheese was melted and the tips were gently browned, I drizzled a little honey over them.

I put two into a peach-fig pie/tart that I made tonight, and I have two figs left, and I've got big plans for them tomorrow.

As I was told by an incredible chef who has been working with figs specifically for a while now, the cook book, "A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes" is an excellent resource for amazing fig dishes. If anyone has it, or has other fantastic fig recipes for using the abundance of this sweet fruit that is about to inundate the District, don't be selfish- share!!

Here's to the on-going goodness of summer!
-Domestic in the District