5 Great Fig Recipes to Celebrate Fig Season

Some fruits are just straight sexy, and it's possible there's no fruit sexier than a fig. Yes, certain aspects of figs, both whole and broken open, resemble certain sexy bits of the human variety. But even beyond that, the odd fecund sweetness of figs, the texture, the way they turn any dish into an outrageous indulgence, is downright lascivious.

Fig season in California is approximately June-October, though there are now varieties being produced all the way through January. But right now, on the cusp of August, is the height of the season, with numerous varieties available. If you have a fig tree in your yard, chances are it's fruiting right around now. With that in mind, we've gathered some of the best fig recipes from around the web. Turn the page for a bunch of ways to channel all that sexiness.

figs at The Tasting Kitchen; Credit: A. Scattergood

5. Casey Lane's Balsamic Roasted Fig and Goat Cheese Bruschetta

A couple of years back, Casey Lane was kind enough to give us the recipe for his extremely popular balsamic roasted fig bruschetta served at the Tasting Kitchen. It basically combines all the things figs love to pair with: goat cheese, fruity vinegar, toasty walnuts.

4. Southern Living's Pancetta-and-Fig Pasta

Fig recipes often fall into certain ruts — delicious ruts, but ruts nonetheless. If you want to move away from the cheese-stuffed and meat-wrapped, here's a very cool pasta dish that combines figs, cheese and pig in a totally new way.

3. Bon Appetit's Lamb Chops with Fresh Herbs and Roasted Figs

There's something about lamb's slightly musky flavor that pairs beautifully with figs. This recipe also employs a flurry of fresh herbs for a fragrant dish that's incredibly easy but feels super luxurious.

2. David Lebovitz's Roast Figs

David Lebovitz's blog is one of those food blogs that feels like hanging out with a friend — a very smart friend who lives in Paris and eats better than any of us. This recipe is a fig fallback, the thing I always do with my figs when I've run out of creativity and just want to make them last a little longer. The roasted figs, which will keep in the fridge for around a week, are great with just about any meal — on pancakes or with yogurt for breakfast, as a salad addition, with roast meats, or spooned over ice cream for dessert.

1. Food & Wine's Honeyed Fig Crostatas

Like most summer fruit, figs go awfully well with pie dough, though better as tarts and crostatas than pies and cobblers. This is a simple, beautiful recipe for honeyed crostatas that should probably be eaten for dessert but also make a damn good breakfast.

See also:

– It's Tomato Season! 5 Great Recipes

– It's Peach Season: 5 Great Recipes

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