Gettin' Figgy With It

I was very happy to see figs at the farmers market yesterday! Fresh figs have been on my list to try for a while, and fig season is just getting underway here in So Cal. These are mission figs, from Avila Farms. They are small, a little soft, and give off an earthy, figgy scent that is just divine.

For my first foray into figs, I wanted to make something pretty simple and decided that I would cook up a little sauce that might complement pork or chicken.  It's really easy to do, and a couple pint baskets make enough for several different meals.

You could even thin it out a little with honey or a liqueur of your choice and use it as a sauce over ice cream, or use it as a base for a fig ice cream as done here.

Simple Fig Sauce (inspired by David Lebovitz' Perfect Scoop)

1 1/2 pounds figs
1/2 cup water
one lemon (organic, unsprayed)
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons Tawny Port

Remove the stems from the figs and cut them into 8 pieces each. Place in a non-reactive pan with the water, zest entire lemon directly into the pan.

Cook on medium heat, covered, until figs are soft, about 10 minutes.



Remove lid and add sugar and port, continuing to cook and stirring regularly until figs are at a jam like consistency.Turn off heat and let cool completely.

When cooled, add to blender and process with the juice from the lemon until it looks like jam. At this point, you can use it as a condiment for meat, or thin it down to use as a lighter sauce. Keep sealed in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

I really liked this, and I think it goes very nicely with more rustic meats- pork loin or roast chicken would be ideal for something like this, with some green beans and mashed potatoes. I also imagine that it would be pretty darned good simply on a cracker with a piece of cheese, or perhaps as the filling in a baked brie in puff pastry.

Thanks for stopping by, see you next week!