Feast of Figs
These are some of our first figs from Campo di Pere. Just after taking this photo, I ate the three large ones on top. They were exquisite, but when I finished the last one, I realized that I needed to eat another. I dug through the bowl in search of the best fig, but there were so many perfect ones that it was impossible to choose. I narrowed the choice down to two, and then decided to eat them both. I'm glad that I did because the fifth one was unquestionably the best fig I have ever eaten.
A few weeks ago, while contemplating the impending arrival of the figs, I was inspired to write this haiku about them:
Delicate skin holds
their honeyed, succulent flesh.
Taste of Paradise.
Non-fig-lovers may think I exaggerate, but I offer this evidence that I am not alone in my estimation of figs. Below is a detail from the north portal of Chartres Cathedral, which illustrates the creation of the world according to the book of Genesis. The scene depicts the vegetation of the earth on the third day.
Just which tree was chosen at Chartres to represent the momentous event? Look closely: those leaves are unmistakeable!
The best part of the summer is here: the figs have finally arrived to punctuate the hot, oppressive days with their luxurious sweetness.
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17 responses:
ahhhh figs! I love them with honey, gorgonzola and walnuts! MMMM, I am sooo jealous!
Yum! I'm a fig lover too, and I love the haiku...perfectly sums up how I feel about them as well :)
Robin, that sounds like a great way to eat figs, but I can never wait long enough to actually prepare them!
Thanks, sognatrice! I don't usually write poetry but the thought of figs was truly inspiring.
I imported an organic gardening book from the US. Was amused at their advice "want to try something exotic and easy to grow? plant figs!" - I didn't even have to plant one of the 3 fig trees in our garden, it appeared on its own!
Fig trees grow in abandoned buildings here, so I can believe that they just came up in your garden! They really are so easy- we do nothing to our trees yet they produce an excellent crop every year.
Love your choices, especially "I fell good". And no, it wasn't an evil plan to double-tag you. I missed that she tagged you too.
I'm a fellow fig-lover and if you are ever in rome, you MUST try the fig "cremolato", which is something like a granita but MUCH MUCH better because it's made with real fruit. it's somewhat like a frozen fruit purée.
"THE" place for cremolati is:
Café du Parc
Piazza di Porta San Paolo
(near Piramide metro stop)
Romerican, that sounds so delicious! Next time in Rome I'll make sure I try one of those.
never loved figs until I had them with melon and proscuitto in Italy, now i'm crazy about them. Go Figs!
Eryn, I never even ate them before coming here! I can't believe what I was missing all those years.
I guess I'm just weird but I've always hated figs. People eat them a lot in Australia but I can't stand their texture and over-sweetness. Just thinking about them makes my skin crawl.
Apart from figs (and okra) I pretty much eat anything though.
Still waiting here in Umbria.. and waiting... and waiting... I had to learn to like them because they were everywhere like little gifts left around my garden. So I like them.
Then my friend said, "My grandmother used to make a conserve with lemon slices..." no further information available. So I too made a slapped together conserve with lemon slices and now I am in Umbria waiting... and waiting... and waiting...
Kataroma, I guess you are just weird! No, I'm just kidding. I didn't even want to try them at first because of their texture- I have a lot of problems with food texture, but oddly enough, the figs doesn't bother. We have a few trees that make sickeningly sweet green figs that I can't stand, so I understand what you're saying there too. I'm definitely with you on okra.
Judith, sometimes the wait is unbearable. Don't worry, they're coming. (And if they don't come, we'll just find a way to get some of my figs to you. We always have too many.)
I love figs! Too bad they don't see them by me in the American Southwest. :(
Add me to the group (although the minority here) of weirdos. I do NOT like figs. But, I'm glad you had such a good time eating them! :)
Do you know it is cold up here? I have had to pull out winter nightclothes!
I'm sorry, jane doe! If would send some figs to you if I could, but I shudder to think of what a package of figs would look like (or smell like) upon arrival!
Giulia, don't worry- I have nothing against people who don't eat figs. More figs for me, after all.
Judith, it's been cooler here too, but not quite that cool. What a relief, though, after those sweltering days!
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