My fig crop, episode IV

Our fig tree finally came good this year, producing hundreds of figs, sometimes as many as three dozen in a single day.

 

Mom and I were so excited about this, as we scarfed small but delicious figs every day. Then we went to Italy, where figs were also in season. Here is what they look like in Italy:

 

These figs are much bigger and significantly sweeter and more concentrated in flavor than the brown turkey figs from our tree. Unfortunately, you just can't find anything like these Italian figs in this country. So, I'll still appreciate our tree and the figs it has finally started producing, but I'll always lust after these Italian figs, which are on a whole other plane of awesomeness. And speaking of lust, I can't look at this picture without thinking of this passage from early in Sarah Winman's magnificent novel Still Life:

Yes, I suppose we were, said Evelyn, and she picked up a fig and pressed her thumbs against the soft, yielding skin. I suppose we were, she repeated quietly. She tore the fruit in half and glanced down at the erotic sight of its vivid flesh. She blushed and would blame it on the shift to evening light, on the effect of the wine and the grappa and the cigarettes, but in her heart, in the unseen, most guarded part of her, a memory undid her, slowly—very slowly—like a zip. 

 

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Here is another simple, healthy dish that Mom, unsurprisingly, says she could "eat everyday." But Brad and I both loved it, too, if that helps convince you to give it a try. Just make sure you have some crusty bread on hand to sop up the flavorful juices.

Roasted Tomatoes with White Beans

Adapted from Deb Perelman via Smitten Kitchen (July 7, 2022)

Time: ~40 minutes

 

5 tablespoons (65 grams) olive oil, divided

1 pound/454 grams ripe cherry or large grape tomatoes, halved

6 small garlic cloves, peeled

1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Crushed red pepper flakes or milder chile flakes such as Marash or Silk (optional)

1 (15.5-ounce) can cannellini or other white beans such as Great Northern, drained and rinsed

~¼ cup chiffonade of fresh Genovese basil leaves

Crusty bread, for serving (toasted if using as crostini)

 

    1. Place a rack in the center of the oven; heat to 400 degrees.

    2. Pour 2 tablespoons (26 grams) of the oil into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish (not sheet pan). Place the tomatoes in the pan cut-side up. Tuck the garlic cloves into and around the tomatoes. Drizzle 2 more tablespoons (26 grams) of the oil over top of the tomatoes. Sprinkle with the kosher salt, then a fusillade (or to taste) of black pepper from your Pepper Cannon (if you're lucky enough to have one). Sprinkle with red pepper flakes to taste, if using. Roast until the tomatoes are bubbly, juicy, and softening, about 20 minutes.

    3. Using a fork, gently mash the tomatoes and garlic (watch out for squirts of hot tomato juice). Stir in the beans. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 5 more minutes.

    4. Remove from the oven. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon (13 grams) of oil. Scatter the basil strips evenly over top. Serve promptly, either spooned over crostini or with crusty bread on the side to sop up the yummy juices. Serves 4.