Cuisine – Late summer treats

Anyone who has a fig tree will appreciate the delicate nature of this very special late summer fruit. And will know that the figs need to be picked only once they reach their full ripe state. It is always a race with the birds to get them, so netting is almost mandatory.

Unlike other fruit trees, the fig keeps on giving. Figs grow in little bundles and only one on each little sprig ripens at a time. The commercial growers can’t harvest their fruit all at once as they must go back each day, over almost six weeks, to pluck the newly-ripe figs. Each one, fully ripe, is incredibly fragile.

They need careful handling and packing, and must get to market immediately. So it’s no wonder the top specimens from the best growers are quite pricey.

There’s a famous and excellent fig grower in Havelock North who will ship boxes of beautiful figs overnight, and luckily for folk in our area here in Matakana, Amy of Fresh Figs drives up from her South Auckland orchard on Saturdays to sell her figs at the Matakana Farmers Market. Her season should last until early April. I have also found some very good figs being sold at the gates of some growers on the Omaha Flats.

When you find a fully ripe juicy fig, pair it with some ham or prosciutto and eat it right away. The sweet salty combination is almost perfect. If the figs are not fully ripe they are better roasted or grilled. Just drizzle a little honey or the more exotic pomegranate syrup on before cooking them. You can then add them to a cheese platter, or a salad.

Dried figs open up another world, but once again it is important to find the very best. The dried-up shrivelled figs will need poaching in a syrup to render them tender and tasty. Look for figs that are plump and moist – I have seen some packs in foil from Australia in the supermarket occasionally that leave those figs in the help yourself bins for dead.

Over the past couple of weeks I have been serving this easy to prepare delicious fig recipe as finger food and as a starter for a dinner. In specialty stores and good supermarkets you may find some fresh white cheese to use. Some excellent New Zealand boutique cheesemakers are producing soft goat cheese and buffalo cheeses, but they’re not always available. Substitute ricotta in this recipe, or use a feta that’s quite soft. And if you cannot get prosciutto, thinly sliced ham (shaved ham in the serve over deli) would be just as delicious.

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Savoury figs with fresh cheese and prosciutto

6 large ripe figs
100g fresh white cheese
100g feta cheese
2 tbsp Greek yogurt
½ lemon, grated zest only
1 tbsp thyme freshly chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp thick runny honey
6 thin slices prosciutto crudo

Chill the figs until you’re ready to work with them.

To make the cheesy stuffing, put the fresh cheese and feta (or ricotta) in a small bowl. Beat well with a fork until smooth, adding enough of the yogurt to make it a nice consistency but keep it firm, not too liquid. Stir in the lemon zest, thyme and black pepper to taste.

Cut each fig in half lengthwise, removing the end of the stalk. Take a teaspoonful of the cheese and pile it on to a fig. Repeat this for all the figs.

Drizzle a small amount of honey over the cheese. Cut each of the slices of prosciutto in half and curl them up to place on top of the stuffed figs.

Arrange on a serving plate and cover until needed. Serve at room temperature for the juiciest of treats.

Makes 12 as a starter or to accompany late summer drinks.