I’ve been wanting to “sit under my own vine and fig tree” for some time—or, at least, since I visited Turkey a few years ago. Those Mediterranean fig trees were everywhere. Scrumptious. Chewy. As sweet as honey.
My interest again peaked when I ran onto some figs in the grocery store recently. They were a bit pricey. I bought one piece to see if I still enjoy the fruit enough to plant a tree this fall. And, yes, yes . . . I do.
A Fig Tree in Winter
But would a typical fig tree survive a Missouri winter? A reader wrote that a Chicago Hardy Fig was what I needed. I checked it out on the Internet. One nursery called the variety a “fig-yielding machine that can withstand some of the coldest winters Mother Nature can dish out.”
The tree was hyped as “cold hardy, low maintenance, pest resistant, and drought tolerant.” And you can pick fruit your first year! That’s my kinda tree. I’m already wondering what I’ll do with the 100 pints of figs the nursery promised my tree would deliver each year.
But enough of my fig planting reverie. I needed to “fig-ure” out what to do with the lone piece of fruit sitting on my kitchen counter. I was uncertain just how to use it for anything other than a nutritious snack. (Figs are chucked full of fiber, calcium, potassium and all that heart healthy stuff.)
Again, I turned to the Internet for guidance. With a few clicks, I found that Martha had a simple, yet inspired recipe for honey, caramelized figs. Obviously, I pared the recipe back considerably to accommodate my one fig.
Honey Caramelized Figs with Yogurt
Ingredients (Serves 4)
- 1 tablespoon honey, plus more for drizzling
- 8 ounces fresh figs, halved
- 2 cups plain low-fat Greek yogurt
- Pinch ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup chopped pistachios
Directions
Heat honey in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook figs, cut sides down, until caramelized, about 5 minutes.
Serve over yogurt with cinnamon and pistachios. Drizzle with honey, if desired. (From Martha Stewart)
