Glut of Figs

We've finally come to the end of the tomatoes....nearly...and I made another 8 litres of spicy tomato sauce.

Cliff and Matt's figs are going beserk though. As we picked, Cliff and I were hidden under the massive boughs heavy with fruit and intoxicated by the aroma of fallen fermented figs. It felt just like when my brothers and I would play cubbies under sweeping branches and leafy hidey-holes. Most made it into the bag but some that I split while picking simply begged to be consumed in glorious stickiness. There is something very regal and sumptuous about sucking the jammy fruit from the skin, but also very child-like being covered in sticky sap and sugary juices.

All very well and good, but they don't last long and I have found a couple of recipes to take full advantage of this glut. The first is this Fresh Fig Cake that is baked in two tins and then sandwiched and topped with a fig syrup. This wonderful recipe used three cups of fresh figs in all. The aroma in the kitchen is pue bliss.

The other recipe I found was Fresh Fig Cookies and it will not surprise my readers to know that I was all out of walnuts so I substituted pumpkin seed kernals. What a sight they were too with globules of pink fig and green pumpkin seeds.....which made me think that if one was having an affluent week, then pistacios would also be very jolly as a substitute. Sounds very exotic and Iranian doesn't it.

In the basket there is also a huge pile of pears now in season and ready for bottling. I do love bottled pears on my Weet-bix. There is always something to be saving. I've also been busy working on new tea towel designs and my knitting of course. Perfect activities for our drizzly weekend.