Fig Explosion!

For the last month or so, figs have been literally falling from the sky. A veritable bounty of Black Mission figs so fresh to bursting, mere steps from my back door, have been calling out to me, beckoning, offering her lusty wares while her heady scent perfumed the air. Remarkable for a tree that nearly snapped a year back.

But a girl can only drink so many Figgytinis while nibbling on figs with crumbled gorgonzola, or even figs straight up while the rest of the family turns in indifference.

Meanwhile, if I didn't get to them, the birds and bees and squirrels and raccoons and the ground would. We were already attracting every winged creature in the 'hood while mounds of rotting flesh sat at the trunk's base decomposing.

What to do with all. that. fruit?

A moment of inspiration came when my sweet friend Clemence of Gourmandise Desserts (check out her sugary site!) suggested making jam.

Jam.

I'd leave you the recipe, but alas, it was one of those in-the-moment, impromptu improvisations. A just-do-it and don't-think-about it creations.

Introducing, the Black Mission-Meyer Lemon Fig Jam....a recipe in pictures.

Gather figs ripe to bursting.

My precious little sweethearts.

Rinse and cut into quarters.

Add thinly sliced Meyer lemons and a ton of sugar. (My bad, I didn't weigh it, just did it by sight.) Let it sit and macerate for at least a half an hour so the juices release and marinate together.

Into the stockpot under medium-high heat.

Boil it down....And boil it some more...until it thickens and globs on the back of a wooden spoon.

Boil the jars and lids separately. Remove with tongs and fill with hot jam. Carefully wipe rims and replace lids, then return to a water bath, boiling the filled jars for another 15-20 minutes. Remove and listen for the little "pop" that announces that the lids have all sealed.

Ah, my precious little jewels.

(And another big tupperware filled in the fridge.)

Just needs some nifty labels and a raffia ribbon around the top.

I tried slathering some of the jam over a pork tenderloin and roasting it in a hot oven, making a quick pan sauce out of the drippings with zinfandel and butter.

It's all blurry with goodness.

The ubiquitous fresh fig salad over just picked-from-the-garden arugula, crumbled gorgonzola, and drizzled with olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar.

And in another moment of inspiration,

I created this Fig and Rhubarb Vanilla Bean Galette.

OMG.

OMHOG was that good. Pinch me good.

Makes that whole strawberry-rhubarb combo taste like Marie Callender's. (I'm just sayin')

Have a Figtabulous day!!