fresh fig spread.

i discovered the joys of fresh mission figs only in my recent adult life. the only figs i had growing up — despite living in a state with an entire advisory board dedicated to them — were fig newtons, which i ate with abandon (have i mentioned my junk food past?). why did it take me so many years to realize that the real thing might just warrant a look-see? i bought two pints of fresh figs at the market last weekend, one of which was a pint of extremely ripe "seconds" i purchased for a buck. after cutting a sample for myself because the vendor "couldn't deal with the texture," (hilarious) i immediately starting thinking of how to use them up.

i love dalmatia fig spread, which is made with adriatic figs, and wanted to create something similar. with a little research, i came up with this no-stove-required recipe.

fresh fig spread
2 pints very ripe mission figs (about 20 figs)
1/8 cup filtered water
juice of one half fresh lemon
1/8 tsp. sucanat or brown sugar
1/8 tsp. maple syrup (i used blis maple syrup infused with tahitian vanilla bean, an artisanal syrup you can order from here)

add all ingredients to food processor and process until a thick purée is formed. add more water if a thinner texture is desired. serving idea: after dinner, offer with crusty bread or crispy flatbread, bleu cheese, honey and walnuts.

*sweeteners may be omitted.

makes about 1-1/2 cups.

more reasons to love figs courtesy of aforementioned advisory board (which has vegan recipes, too!):

• figs are fat-free, sodium-free and, like other plant foods, cholesterol-free.
• figs are high in fiber, providing 20% of the daily value - more dietary fiber per serving than any other common dried or fresh fruit.
• figs have the highest overall mineral content of all common fruits. a 40 gram (1/4 cup) serving provides 244 mg of potassium, 53 mg of calcium and 1.2 mg of iron.

photo credit: california fig advisory board.